To See a World
by LivetoDream333
Summary: Gene Cooper: twice orphaned, college grad at 13, violinist, social outcast, the highest recorded IQ, and terrified of elevators. Her brain always moved too fast. All she ever wanted was to see the world like a normal person, without the numbers and equations. The Doctor may be just the right person to show her the universe. Bad summary, sorry. Doctor(s)/oc going to be M
1. Chapter 1

**So, I was inspired to write this by one of my favorite Doctor Who writers Shirleylocked, who encouraged me to write for myself. So I took a stab at it. **

**I hope someone finds enjoyment in this.**

**I don't own Doctor Who...just a messed up brain.**

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Twice Orphaned

It was a state-wide festival and there were a hundred girls standing on the stage under bright lights that made them look far more pale and nervous than they actually were. Several groups had performed, but this was the big finale, the last song with every group together, performing one last number to leave their audience stunned to the point of tears. It was then that the ten year old girl in the back row made her way down to the large, black, grand piano. As she moved her black dress sparkled under the hot lights, but her skin didn't, she wasn't sweating a bit.

Her brown hair was pulled up in a braided bun, her honey blonde bangs, lightened by days spent in the sun, hung over her forehead, falling almost into her baby blue eyes. For a ten-year-old she didn't seem frightened to be on the stage, standing in front of thousands of people she didn't know, in fact, she smiled at them before she grabbed the small, worn case from its spot next to the piano.

The door to the auditorium opened suddenly and the girl paused when she saw the light from the outside of the performance hall. A man in a long tan coat stepped into the hall, closing the door quickly and apologizing as he found a place to stand out of the way of everyone else. The little girl simply continued what she was doing as though nothing had happened.

A violin was procured from the case and the little girl smiled at the instrument fondly before turning to the accompanist behind the piano and nodding. The pretty blonde woman, dressed to the nines, at the piano began to play a slow tune, only to be joined a moment later by the most beautiful sounding violin anyone in that room had ever heard before. The girl closed her eyes and swayed gently with her music. No one even noticed when the choir started to sing to the girl's tune. The violin was enough to grip the hearts of the audience and make them all cry in awe.

The end of the tune was accompanied by complete silence before the crowd erupted and stood quickly to applaud. The girl lowered the violin and bow before she curtsied sweetly, her face turning a light shade of pink under the lights as she blushed.

No one had known Gene Louise Cooper's name before that moment, she had just been yet another girl in one of the school choirs that had traveled many miles to perform for this one night, but everyone in the room now knew her name. Everyone.

The performers made their way off of the stage in an orderly way before heading off into the cafeteria of the school the performance was being held in. The short girl worked her way through the crowd searching, she knew they were there. As she made her way through the masses she tripped and was caught by the man in the trench coat.

"Brilliant performance, Gene." The man said with a funny accent.

"Thank you." She said shyly, not looking up at him before she continued on her way. She pushed her way through the people until she saw them. The way her face lit up no one would ever know that they weren't really her parents. The tall brunette woman holding a single red rose looked at the little girl fondly, as if she truly were her mother and the thick-built man with mousy hair did just the same.

Mrs. Tesa Cooper was a school teacher who had always loved children, but had never been able to have a child herself. She'd been devastated when faced with failure after failure, when she and her husband finally adopted Gene when she was two years old. Even though Gene wasn't cut from their clothe, they loved her unendingly and cherished her as their own.

"Louiza!" Tesa called with a wide smile, holding out her arms. Gene took off running and threw her arms around her adoptive mother, her violin case left forgotten on the ground, which Mike Cooper dutifully picked up, knowing how sacred it was to little Gene.

"Mommy! Did I do alright?" Gene wondered.

"You would have made grandma proud! You were perfect, my sweet little flower." Tesa beamed at her and kissed both of her cheek.

"Really?" Gene asked hopefully.

"Really, Gennie." Mike agreed with a fond smile. She smiled back and hugged him as well.

"For you." Tesa said, offering the red rose to Gene.

"Thank you." Gene said, blushing again, also taking the violin from Mike's hands.

"Gene!" A voice called out.

"Yes, Mr. Parker?" Gene called, turning around to look at her choir teacher.

"We have to get on the bus now, come on."

"One moment!" Gene called before turning back to her adopted parent's. "Thanks for coming."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." They promised.

"I'll see you at home alright?"

"You got it kiddo. See you in an hour." Mike promised, kissing her cheek. Tesa hugged Gene and kissed her forehead.

"Love you."

"Love you too, mommy." Gene promised before she followed her teacher through the throng of people. Gene passed the man in the trench coat again, but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at her parents as she was ushered out of the school and onto a bright yellow bus, a rose and a violin in hand. As they drove a girl tapped Gene's shoulder.

"What was that?" The girl wondered.

"What was what?"

"Didn't you see that box? The blue box? It sort of looked like a phone booth, but it said something about police on it. Do you know what that means?"

"No idea, I didn't see it." Gene shrugged, taking a whiff of the rose in her hand.

"But, you're supposed to be the smart one."

"Not always." Gene replied relaxing into the window and closing her eyes, effectively ending the conversation about strange boxes with police written on them.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

Gene sat on the risers in her school and waited, staring at the rose in her hand with a strange feeling in her gut. Everyone in the room was being loud, very loud, but she did her best to ignore them, trying to figure out why she felt sick. She hadn't eaten anything bad, had she?

"Gene?" Mr. Parker asked. Gene got up slowly and followed him into his office where he slowly closed the door and frowned at her, his lower lip shaking.

"What's wrong sir?"

"Honey…your parents. They died in a car accident on the way home… I'm sorry."

Mr. Parker kept talking, but Gene didn't listen. She looked out the window into the street beyond the parking lot, staring into the orange light that lit the street. She swore for a moment that she could see someone standing in the light, but then they were gone, like a ghost.

"I'm an orphan again." Gene stated in a lifeless voice, the color draining from her cheeks as the gravity of the situation finally sunk in.

"Oh, Gene." Mr. Parker reached out slowly to grab her shoulder, but she pulled away.

"Don't. Don't touch me." Gene snapped pulling away and leaving him behind as she rushed out of the room, taking her violin and rose with her as she ran through the dark hallways. She knew the school like the back of her thumb, she knew which doors were unlocked, and she knew how to get to the roof. She stood on the roof by herself and let two tears roll down her cheeks. She opened her violin case and stared at the violin. It had once been her mother's. It was old, but cherished and well-maintained. She slowly picked it up and ran her fingers over the taught strings. The silver circle in the bottom of the case flashed in the moonlight, but she ignored it and lifted the bow, playing a slow melody, the song her mother had taught her when she was young.

When she was young she was sure that no one would ever take her in. She was after all just an orphan…and now she was an orphan again.

8DWDWDWDW8

Gene stood in front of her godparent's house and frowned at the black shutters that stood out against the white siding. The blonde girl three years her junior moved toward her, holding a pillow in her hands.

"We have a room ready for you." The girl said in a voice that betrayed how awkward she felt, not knowing what to say to a girl who'd been orphaned twice.

"Thanks." Gene replied simply. It wasn't that she didn't like her new family. She enjoyed them quite a lot. They had been friends of her family. Mr. Parker was a mechanic, Mrs. Parker ran her own daycare for children, and their daughter Marie was nice enough, if not a bit tomboy-ish. But they weren't the family Gene belonged to, even though they tried to be understanding.

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**I hope that met someone's expectations. Any comments?**


	2. Chapter 2

**I wasn't expecting four reviews within the first twenty-four hours of having this story up. Nor did I expect the favorites and followers, so thank you for surprising me. I also got a PM from a certain, very smug, Shirley who told me very gently that she "Told me so". **

**To the reviewers:**

**Yugioh13: Thank you! I feel bad for her too, and we will be seeing the Doctor a lot. It's going to be very wibbly-wobbly in this story.**

**The Yoshinator: And a dozen roses and fresh-baked cookies to you! :D **

**Ali: Thank you so much. Gene is a hard character to write. I love her to bits, but she's just awkward! Thank you for the support.**

**Anonymous: It's hard to explain how Gene sees things because they are so unique, but I tried to portray a bit of it in this chapter, I hope it helps a bit. Thank you ever so much.**

**By the way! There are a lot of random facts in this chapter, please forgive me if I have anything scientifically or numerically incorrect. While I am above average in the brains department I am not a nurse, doctor, scientist, or anything else that is anywhere close to Gene's brain capacity. Hope I didn't mess up too terribly. **

**Italics will always be thoughts of characters. **

**Yes, there are a few Sherlock references in here.**

**I don't own Doctor Who...just a messed up brain.**

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The Years Go By

Gene was eleven when fame truly hit her. She was the creator of a whole world in her first published novel that became a sensation overnight. It was just the thing that proved how smart she was. She'd already been in high school at the young age of eight, but her book really showed that her knowledge was extraordinary. Throughout the science fiction book were inventions that she backed up with logic and equations.

She was proclaimed a genius by Stephen Hawking himself when he heard her ideas on faster than light travel and the designs she could use to accomplish it. Her mind was simply more advanced than her fellow humans. Her brain worked differently than others.

Gene's new family, while endlessly supportive of the up-n-coming genius, they didn't quite understand her. They tried, but Gene most often found herself alone in her room, playing her violin and writing novels, incorporating all of her genius ideas into them, pouring all of intelligence into them. Their whole family loved Gene, except for her adoptive aunt who insisted that if Gene wasn't related by blood she wasn't any good at all. Marie was the closest to Gene though. The pair were friends, even though Marie didn't understand half of what Gene said most of the time, well all the time, they still got on very well.

Gene was twelve when a very important person dropped into Gene's life out of sheer coincidence.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Doctor, where are we?" Rose asked.

"Maine, 2000. There's someone who lives here that I've always wanted to meet." The Doctor said, straightening his black leather jacket.

"Who?"

"Gene Cooper. Brilliant young woman who wrote novels for a living. She was ages ahead of her time. She had a mind that could imagine things centuries before every other human could believe them possible. She holds the record for the highest IQ score _ever_, of course, they did change the test in 2750. Graduated college at the young age of thirteen. She was found on the step of an orphanage, four months old. She was adopted later and learned to play the violin by the time she was four. The same night the whole of Maine saw the prodigy perform for the first time, her adopted parents died. She was shuffled on to her godparents and lived with them until she had a huge fight with her godmother when she was eighteen."

"Why don't I know of her?" Rose wondered.

"After she fought with her godmother and moved out on her own no one heard from her, those who did said she had gone completely insane. Before she reached her twentieth birthday she was gone. No one ever found her again. Just blood in the sink and an empty house. No sign of forced entry or a body…just the world's smartest woman gone missing and blood left on the furniture."

"Do you fancy her? The way you talk about her…"

"I just appreciate genius when I see it. I'll bet she's fantastic." The Doctor smiled as he walked to the door of the TARDIS and stepped out into early morning light in a small, peaceful suburb. He led Rose quickly to a decent-sized white house and knocked on the red door gently. A few seconds passed before a young girl wearing basketball shorts and her hair up in a ponytail opened the door.

"Um, hi." Marie said shyly. "You're here for Gene aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're from England?"

"Sort of, we travel a lot." Rose answered with a smile.

"Oh, just a moment." Marie stepped back into the house and called up the stairs. "Gene, there's two people here for you."

"Crazies?" A voice called back quietly.

"He is." Rose whispered, nudging the Doctor fondly.

"No, traveled a long way by the sounds of it." Marie responded. The second floor creaked above the front door and a few seconds later a teenaged girl began to walk down the stairs. Her hair fell to the base of her shoulder blades when it was pulled up. Her light brown (almost blonde) bangs curved over her forehead. Her bright blue eyes were full of intelligence, calculating. She was wearing blue jeans, an oversized t-shirt that was many years old, and over her head was a dark blue bandana. Her skin didn't have a single blemish and her teeth were straight and white.

"Hello." Gene said in her light, smooth voice, holding out her hand to both of them. She could tell instantly that the man before her was six feet tall and the woman next to him was exactly seven inches shorter than him. Both of the newcomer's eyes suffered from the Tyndall effect and had next to no melanin in them. The man had plenty of eumelanin while the woman had more pheomelanin. It only took Gene half a second to see the traits that made up the two people in front of her, to calculate the dominant, recessive, and unique genes that made them who they were. The man was different, wrong. Something about him didn't add up the correct way. Something about him was abnormal, incalculable, a singularity in her mind. "I apologize for that. I have a few stalkers and I've predicted using my own violence scale that if they show up there is a huge possibility for one or two major law violations to occur."

"Can I guess which ones?" The Doctor asked, having been shaking her hand through her whole speech, absolutely giddy at her genius.

"If you like." Gene said, apparently not noticing that he'd held her hand for—now—_a minute and twenty seconds, twenty-one_. Her middle finger moved slowly and pressed into the vein in his wrist without him noticing._ One-two-three, four_. Not like a heartbeat, more like music: triplet, four, triplet, four, triplet four… His heartbeat was the anomaly, the singularity. Something about his heart was wrong. Gene began to go through every heartbeat and disease she knew about, what could make his heartbeat that strange?_ Did he have an arrhythmia? PAC? No, not the right rhythm. PVC? No. AFIB? No. PVST? _

"Murder and torture?" _No, not PVST._

"Of a sort. However, they will be on my property, so any foul thing that befalls them for their poor choices will be their faults and not mine. I won't stand for the blatant disrespect and sickness that they treat me with." _Tachycardia? Av? V-tach? VFIB? No!_ Nothing fit the man in front of her. He was an anomaly.

"Fair enough." Rose smiled. "I like her, she's a tough one."

"Told you she'd be fantastic." The Doctor smiled. Rose cleared her throat and suddenly both of them seemed to remember to drop their hands. "I'm the Doctor."

"Gene Cooper." Gene replied before holding out her hand to Rose, still irritated that she couldn't figure him out._ Triplet, four; triplet, four; triplet, four; triplet, four._

"Rose Tyler."

"Pleasure. Doctor who, exactly?" Gene wondered, ushering them into a cozy living room.

"Just the Doctor."

"I take it you've read one—" her eyes flickered over him and she shook her head "no, you've read all of my books. She hasn't read a page. But you're curious." She said her voice remaining one tone, her words spilling out quickly. Triplet, four; triplet, four; triplet, four. What did it mean?

"Gene, remember to breathe, alright?" Marie called from the kitchen.

_At twelve years old, being a white, female, with no health issues, save one, the approximate capacity for a pair of lungs is nearly five liters. Breathing being essential to exchange oxygen and CO, CO2, H2O, N, and various other gases that would render a person my age unconscious in approximately two-point-zero-one-five minutes. And apparently it helps you more understandable if you slow down and take more of them. _"Forgive me, I speak quickly. It's the only way to attempt to keep up with my thoughts, I forget sometimes to slow down." She frowned. What was the answer? _Triplet, four. Or! Is it… One, triplet? Why would it be that way…? _

"I have read all of your books." The Doctor agreed. "I found them all to be fantastic."

"But you want to know how I know what I know." _Interesting…he's different. Doesn't ask the usual questions. Triplet, four._

"Yes, exactly."

"I don't know. I've never really been asked that before. People just ask me to explain what I know, they never ask how I know it." _Triplet, four._

"Your brain must be so different." Rose commented. The Doctor knew that tone, Rose thought Gene was an alien.

_Different: Alzheimer's, Aneurysm, ADD, ADHA, Aphasia, Asperger's, Batten, Behcet's, Chiari Malformation, Cerebral Palsy, Dementia, Down Syndrome, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Triplet, four; Dystonia, Epilepsy, Essential Tremor, Gaucher, Huntington's, Intracranial hypertension, LiS, Meningitis, Migraine, Motor Neurone Disease, Narcolepsy, Parkinson's, Strole, Tay-Sachs, Transverse Myelitis, Tuberous Sclerosis, and Con-Hippel-Lindau… All negative. Nothing 'different'. But he does…one-two-three, four. _

"It isn't. Several of my teachers had me sent to the hospital, to check and see if I had any brain issues… I'm as healthy as any of you, if not wired just a bit differently." Gene smiled out of courtesy. _People do that right?_

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend—"

"You didn't, I wonder myself some days. I'm just waiting to go 'round the bend."

"How do you process things? Your mind must work so fast. I mean if you can understand the math and science that allows for time travel your mind must work so fast…" The Doctor commented.

"It used to be a huge problem when I was little, used to make me very grumpy when I couldn't get a bit of peace and quiet up here." She tapped her forehead gently. "My dad was a mathematician, very smart."

"You use numbers."

"Shorthand numbers, scientific formulas, and music when I can't handle the numbers anymore." Gene nodded and frowned. "I sometimes wish I weren't smart. It's too much. Everyone else in the world can see it for what it is… I've been told that I'm missing out on the real world. Everyone sees the world for what it is…"

"You don't?" Rose wondered.

"Not really. I see the pigments and the wavelengths of light that make that leaf green and the physics that keeps that bird in the air and the speed with which it flies. I see the lack of pigment in your eyes and the optical illusion that makes it so your eyes _appear _to be blue, they _aren't _blue. There's so much logic in my head it's hard to see truth. I think that's what I'm going to do when I get older…delete everything in my head and travel the world, trying to see what's really out there, rather than just the numbers, equations, science…facts. I could map out your entire personality, habits, body, genes, and culture in numbers in my head. I've already done it, twice. That's why I would love to just be normal for a moment, forget everything I know, see the world."

"You would just travel?" Rose inquired, feeling odd that everything in her whole life could be pressured down into numbers.

"I'd love to travel, and if technology were up to it I'd go see all of the other worlds out there." _Triplet, four._

"Other worlds?" The Doctor wondered.

"Considering the ever-expanding size of the universe, all of the unexplained happenings in the past, the way life was created, and the fact that there's an anomaly in my living room I'm one-hundred percent sure that there are other worlds."

"Anomaly?" Rose wondered worriedly, glancing at the Doctor.

"We shook hands for a long time, I know he's different." _Triplet, four._

"My pulse… You took my pulse, oh you _are_ a clever girl. You could tell that there was something wrong with me just by looking? That's fantastic."

"The numbers came to a singularity, an anomaly around you. Something didn't add up. It was, in fact, the strange heart-beat..."

"I like her." Rose beamed.

"I see things differently, hardly anything to be shocked about."

"Well, it is an anomaly. I was born with two hearts." The Doctor agreed.

"That's what it is! How did I miss it? It makes sense now… Convenient mutation to have though…when you think about it." Gene smiled. "And they say there's something off in my head." Gene teased good-naturedly, if a little awkwardly.

"So…you've found the way to time travel. I noticed you didn't put nearly half of the explanation in your book." The Doctor commented.

"The world doesn't need to know all of it. Just so, we couldn't accomplish it at the present time anyway. Well, technically, if we had the technology in the future someone could travel to this point in time and give us the technology, but if it were me I wouldn't. I don't feel like we're ready for it."

Rose could tell there was something between the two of them just by watching them talk. They understood each other. They could both talk in a completely different language and still get each other. She found Gene to be a bit dry, as if she didn't really know how to act around people, as if in her giant mind 'people skills' was a small dusty folder in the corner. She was very smart though, and she wore it humbly and wisely. She was nice enough, but Rose really didn't like having the Doctor's attention divided.

"Gene!" Gene jumped up and turned to look at her adopted mother after an hour. "Who are these people?"

"Sorry, Mrs. Parker. They were here to talk about my book. They traveled a long way." _3114_._934_ _miles as a crow flies_. "I didn't want to turn them away, that would be rude."

"We'll discuss this later." Mrs. Parker stated. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave."

"No problem, ma'am." Rose promised, all too eager to leave. She stood up, as did the Doctor.

"Lovely to meet you." Gene smiled, holding out her hand to both of them. Rose took her hand first.

"Nice to meet you, you really are brilliant." She complimented. The Doctor hadn't been wrong when he'd called her a genius.

"Thank you." Gene said with a light blush. The Doctor took her hand and smiled at her.

"You really are fantastic. Thank you for letting me pick at your mind." The Doctor grinned.

"No problem." Gene nodded, their hands falling apart before the Doctor and Rose departed.

"Who was that man Gene?" Mrs. Parker asked with an angry frown.

"A fan. He's brilliant too. He could actually understand me when I spoke."

"You didn't know him? Gene, what have I told you about letting strangers into the house?"

"Based on the statist—"  
"I don't care about the numbers, Gene. I care that he could have hurt you. Just don't do that again, alright?"

"Okay, Mrs. Parker." Gene frowned when she saw Mrs. Parker wince. She'd never call her mom, she just couldn't, even though she knew it hurt her. Deep down, Gene only had one mother, and she was dead.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

Gene graduated college at the age of thirteen and published three more books before her fifteenth birthday. No one in her home town really talked to her, except for the bus driver who ran the route past her house, the route that she took whenever she had to go somewhere. Her family got along with her—except for that one nasty aunt—and they all worked to understand her, but few could dig too far below the cold, number covered shell of her mind.

By sixteen she was allowed to get her license, but she didn't. She was absolutely terrified of cars. She'd rather walk or take the bus everywhere. Just another reason for everyone her age to think of her as a freak rather than a person. Marie stood up for her though whenever things got hard for Gene.

Seventeen years of being treated like a freak, being an outcast, being alone… It was all going to change.

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**Again, I want to thank all of you for the support already. It's been Fantastic!**

**(Yes, Shirley, I give in.) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. I hoped that all of you liked how I explained Gene's mind. You won't be seeing a lot of that in the future, just as a fair warning. It really is hard to keep up with her and to figure out what she's thinking all of the time. She really is just like Sherlock, i swear.**

**To the reviewers:**

**Yugioh13: Gene is like Sherlock, and I feel like the Doctor is the only person who can get her to slow down. They're going to be like chocolate and peanut butter by the time i'm through with them. :D Thank you for reviewing. **

**Mackenziejen: Thank you so very much. Here's another chapter for you. :)**

**ElektraMackenzie: Thank you, I was hoping someone would care for Gene the way I did. I'm so glad someone else agrees.**

**The Yoshinator: Here's an update for you! Hop you enjoy it. We'll be seeing the Doctor a lot for a little while.**

**Finally! We're getting on the TARDIS! Whoo! **

**I don't own Doctor Who... Just a friend who told me i was crazy enough to write.**

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Fear of Elevators

_"Most people have some grand encounter with aliens before they meet the Doctor. They are usually in the wrong place at the wrong time and just happen to be saved by him, and then he carries them off on adventures. I didn't do that. I had no encounter with aliens. I was just in an elevator that was freefalling, and then the Doctor stumbled into me. And he never stops stumbling into me. For some reason, he just can't stop running into me... But this time, I don't think he's ever coming back."_

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Mr. Parker wheeled Mrs. Parker into the hospital and quickly into the emergency elevator, going up quickly. Marie stood next to the door as her aunt and grandparents got onto another elevator and went up. A few minutes later a large bus pulled into the hospital parking lot and Gene got out before running through the doors.

"Did you all get here alright?" Gene asked Marie.

"We're fine. I decided to wait for you. It's not like anything's going to happen yet."

"This hospital has to be the biggest one I've ever seen." Gene frowned and shook her head.

"It is… I've already looked, I couldn't find the stairs anywhere. Sorry." Marie apologized.

"It's alright… Let's go. You're mom's probably all set up in her room now." Gene said, slowly walking up to the elevator. A loud screech filled the air and Gene whirled around to see a large black vehicle come to a halt outside of the doors. A tall, handsome man in an army coat strode into the hospital like he owned the place with two women and two men following him.

"I'm sorry." The man in the army jacket said with an award winning smile said to Gene. "We're going to have to steal your elevator from you. Torchwood." He said holding out a blank piece of paper. He was looking at Gene expectantly, as were the others.

"And what's a blank piece of paper supposed to mean?" Gene wondered. The man's smile grew, while the other's looked at her in shock. Three of the people behind the first instantly turned to look at the other brunette behind the first who shook his head at the others mumbling something along the lines of: "It's not her yet." But Gene wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly.

"You're a bright kid. You've just made my day. Sorry, but I really do have to steal this elevator. I might have to talk to you later though." He winked as the elevator doors opened and he entered them. His team followed him. The other handsome brunette turned and apologized to Gene.

"Sorry about him, and yes, he's always like that." He said with a different accent from the first man as the doors closed and the elevator came to life, taking them away.

"Why did you say the paper was blank?" Marie wondered.

"Because it was." Gene replied as she waited for the second elevator to make its way to the first floor.

"No it wasn't. It had Torchwood Institute on it, the name Jack Harkness, and a barcode with lots of numbers. It was grey, I'm telling you."

"All I saw was a blank, white slip of paper." Gene shrugged.

"That's weird. Are you losing your eyesight?" Marie teased good-naturedly. The elevator dinged and opened and Gene forced a chuckle before she stepped into the elevator. Most of her fears were rational. She knew a legitimate reason for every one of her fears.

She feared talking to new people, but that was because she never knew how to talk to people and when she did it normally ended up with her getting glared at, or getting her food spit in like her first time ordering at a restaurant.

She feared cars. An obvious thing, her parents had been killed in a car accident.

She feared small, enclosed spaces. Some of the older kids at the orphanage had left her in a cedar chest for six hours after she'd proved one of them wrong when she was two. They'd left her locked in the box with it nearly full. She hadn't been able to move the whole time and had screamed herself hoarse before anyone had found her.

She feared hospitals… The smell… It was too clean. Too precise… It made her sick.

She feared elevators. She didn't know why. They made her dizzy and sick and she was always sure that one day she'd get on an elevator and it would drop her and she'd die, either by the fall, or worse, by suffocating.

Marie followed her into the elevator and the doors closed. Gene took a deep breath as the elevator began to ascend. It was a large elevator—twelve feet high, ten feet wide—so she didn't feel claustrophobic, but it was one of those elevators that was very rickety yet still traveled at 50 miles an hour, leaving your stomach somewhere at the bottom of the shaft as the rest of you kept traveling. Gene grabbed the rail tightly and Marie gently patted her shoulder sympathetically.

Before the elevator could plunge to the bottom the door opened to the birth center of the hospital and Gene rushed through the door, wiping off the sweat off of her forehead and moved to sit in a chair in the waiting room. Instantly a little blonde boy ran across the room and cuddled up on her lap. Aside from Marie, Brandon had been Gene's only real friend, and he was an eight-year-old boy with an undiagnosed mental problem, nothing serious, but he wasn't quite normal and he had a slight stammer when he spoke. He was Marie's cousin, her aunt wasn't very happy when he'd warmed right up to Gene since the very beginning.

"Geeennie, I painted you a picture and I had it in the car. Momma said I couldn't take it with me though. I don't know why. Maybe we can go get it while we wait for the baby. Mommy says I shouldn't talk to you, but I don't why. Why not? You're awesome, favorite cousin ever."

"I don't know honey." Gene smiled and kissed his cheek, earning a glare from Marie's aunt. Gene felt someone staring at her and she looked up, seeing the brunette with the accent sitting twenty chairs away, looking over his laptop at her with a curious look on his face. "One second, Brando, okay?"

"Can I come with you?" He wondered, holding her hand as she got up.

"Sure." Gene said, walking towards the man who quickly looked back down at his computer and started typing quickly, talking through an earpiece quickly. He looked up at her as soon as she was within five feet of him.

"Turn right… No, don't argue with me, go right… Of course I'd bet my life on it… _I'm _the one watching your back, don't argue with me." He shook his head and smiled at Gene. "Sorry, they're idiots."

"Who are you?"

"Ianto Jones," he smiled and held out his hand to her. She shook it timidly and looked at him questioningly.

"Why the blank paper?"

"That is an excellent question. I promise that I'll answer it, someday." He smiled again, a warm friendly smile.

"Do I know you?" Gene wondered. "The way you talk to me…it's strange."

"Lots of things are strange around Torchwood." He chuckled before talking through his earpiece. "Yes, I called you strange, now turn left."

"What's Torchwood?"

"You'll find out."

"How?"

"Another excellent question—wait, no, stop! Ugh, that idiot!" Ianto hissed grabbing his things and packing them away quickly. "I'm coming, just keep moving. Listen, Gene, it's been lovely, it truly has been, but I have to go. I promise you'll get your answers someday, you're brilliant and I'm sure—wait, how old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"And we're in a hospital…oh my… Mrs. Parker's pregnant isn't she?"

"How do you know that?"

"God, it was us this whole time…"

"What are you talking about?"

"No time to explain. Take care, alright?" He kissed her cheek and ran out of the room quickly.

"Wait!" Gene closed as the doors flopped closed behind him.

"Was he your friend?" Brandon asked quietly.

"No… I don't know who he is."

"Can we go get your picture?" Brandon wondered, tugging her arm.

"We have to ask your mom."

"Okay!" Brandon took off towards his mother, dragging Gene with him. "Mommy can we go to the car and get Geeenie's picture?"

"Only if I go with you. She'd probably steal something from me." Marie's aunt huffed getting up.

"Silly mommy, Geeenie isn't a robber." Brandon chuckled. The three of them got onto the elevator and instantly Brandon hugged Gene, knowing she didn't like elevators. "You're going to be fine, Geeenie." Brandon promised as the door closed. Gene forced a smile and closed her eyes as the elevator began to travel downwards.

"Get over it. We all know you just want attention." Marie's aunt scoffed, but Gene didn't care. She was far too terrified to care. The statistics began to run through her head the odds that a person will die in an elevator are nearly 1 in 10.5 million. The number of elevator rides being an incalculable number. The odds that Gene was the one death in the precise elevator she was in to die was so small that it was practically negligible, but the fact still remained that it was plausible, and that scared the life out of Gene. The doors opened to the lobby and Gene rushed out, relieved.

"Let's go get your picture!" Brandon cheered.

"No, you stay here in the lobby. I don't want you anywhere near my car. You're nothing but trouble."

"Fine." Gene stated, sitting down in the main lobby, trying to relax. Brandon frowned, but followed his mother out to the car. Gene sighed and shook her head. She knew she was awkward, she even knew that she was a freak, but she _knew _that she wasn't a delinquent. Yet, her adoptive aunt insisted that she was.

Gene looked over at the elevator doors and sighed. She walked quickly around the lobby, but found no signs of stairs, when she tried to venture down a hallway a nurse coughed at her disapprovingly. With a sigh of resignation Gene pressed the up button next to the doors and waited. The golden doors slid open and she stepped inside. She pressed the button labeled '10' and watched as the doors closed.

The elevator was still going too fast, still far too rickety…but there was something different this time as it past the third floor. It was making a grinding, creaking, moaning noise. Sweat dripped down Gene's forehead. Her heart pounded, double-time. Her knuckles turned white on the silver rails that lined the faux wood walls. Her breathing quickened as the noise grew louder.

Seventh floor.

There was a twang from above…much like the sound of a piano wire snapping.

Eighth floor.

Gene was praying now. Please God let me get to the tenth floor. Please…just two more floors.

Ninth floor.

Nine and a half.

There was a loud boom from above and for one blissful second the elevator was still, until it began to race towards the bottom of the shaft. The sudden shift in momentum snapped Gene's head backwards against the wall before her hands lost their grip on the rail and she fell flat against the floor. She could feel herself losing consciousness and was relieved that she may not be awake when she hit the bottom, when she likely would die.

She heard a strange, raspy, grating noise and she was sure it was the elevator as it fell.

She knew she was out of it when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She considered for a moment that it was her mother…an angel come to take care of her in her last seconds…but she didn't have a chance to look. She lost consciousness.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"…alright?" A voice wondered gently, worriedly. Gene felt a hand run through her hair gently. She didn't remember taking the clip out of her hair. A warm, gentle hand brushed her forehead tenderly. "Are you alright?" Gene could see a blue light through her eyelids and could hear a weird whirring noise. "Ah, you're awake." A voice said gently. "Take your time. You're safe, alright? Just take your time. Take deep breaths. You're safe."

_I'm safe? Why wouldn't I be safe? _Gene wondered, suddenly she remembered falling, the loud noises, the elevator…passing out. Gene gasped and opened her eyes, nearly sitting up in her panic, but someone had a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes took a second to adjust.

Hovering over Gene was a very handsome man with ruffled brown hair. He wore a blue suit with a long brown trench coat over the top. Over his warm brown eyes was a pair of black framed glasses.

"Are you feeling alright? You took quick a tumble." He commented, his voice had an English lit to it. "I checked you over, you hit your head, but you don't have a concussion, might be a bit jumbled for a few minutes though."

"I know you." Gene said quietly.

"What?" He wondered.

"I know you, you were at my recital. You went into the hall just before my recital. You caught me when I fell… You were standing in the street, under the light when I found out my parents had died… You haven't aged… I think you've gotten younger actually… How…?"

"Are you sure you've seen me before?"

"Hard to miss a trench coat." Gene responded, slowly looking around at the large room around her. "Where am I?"

"You're on the TARDIS, my space ship." The man said simply.

"Space ship?"

"Time machine too, isn't that wonderful?" He wondered with a huge smile.

"Time machine? Well, that explains why I've seen you a few times then." Gene chuckled. She stood up and swayed, her head aching. The man put his hands on her waist to keep her from falling.

"I'm the Doctor, by the way. And you seem a bit too calm about all of this."

"Nice to meet you." Gene said, holding out her hand. The Doctor took it and she quickly began to talk, her fingers moving to check her theory. "I'm not so surprised, I know time travel is possible…but what I don't understand is you."

"What do you mean?"

"You call yourself just 'the Doctor' and you have two hearts according to your heartbeat. I've met someone just like you before, but he didn't look at all like you."

"Do you always check people's pulses when you shake their hands?" The Doctor asked, lowering his hand.

"Only when I'm curious. How are you him? You are the same person aren't you?"

"More of a genius than you're ever given credit for… Yes, I'm him. New face…well, new everything, quite recently actually."

"How…how?"

"I'm an alien… I regenerated, it's a way my species cheats death…"

"Oh…" Gene said slowly.

"You feeling okay? You look a bit pale."

"I'm okay…my head hurts."

"You have quite the brainwaves too. I mean, I knew you were brilliant, but you're mind's off the scale."

"Thank you?"

"No problem." The Doctor grinned at her sweetly. Gene looked around the room slowly with wide eyes. "Hard to take in all at once isn't it?"

"So much math and science…rushing through my head all at once. It's overwhelming."

"You once told me that you wanted to see the world like a normal person, without all of the numbers. I can show you the world, lots of them. Time and relative dimension in space. I can take you anywhere, anytime, and still get you back in time for lunch. Maybe I can help you see more than just the numbers."

"You think you can fix me?" Gene asked hopefully.

"You'd have to be broken first. You aren't broken."

"Yes I am. I'm a freak."

"I changed my face, have two heartbeats, own a time machine, and come from a different planet and _you're _the freak? Trust me. You're perfect."

"Yeah, try telling that to the rest of the world. I just…want to feel things. I want to know what it's like to live outside of my head…but my head's always been so loud…so quick that I can't ignore it."

"Life around me is pretty fast-paced, maybe I can make you forget to think. Want to try?"

"Anything…but…"

"But…?"

"You said we could go anywhere, anytime, yes?"

"Where do you need to go?"

"I left my violin at home."

"Allonsy." The Doctor smiled warmly at her, flipping a switch.

* * *

**Thank you all so much for the support. Cookies and roses to all of you. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hola, everyone. **

**To the reviewers:**

**Mackenziejen: Me too! Don't worry, I'll find you someone else to hate in the future. :)**

**The Yoshinator: You can punch her. Want help? **

**I don't own Doctor Who... Just a friend who told me i was crazy enough to write.**

* * *

Why Me? …Oh…

"Really?"

"Yes, I mean it, if you go through those doors you'll be at your house." The Doctor promised, leaning next to the double doors casually.

"You just parked your spaceship right in my front lawn?"

"Yes, I did." The Doctor smirked. Gene looked at the doors, paused for a moment, and then went through them. The Doctor followed her out as she stared out the house in front of her in awe.

"That's amazi—wait…" Gene said staring at the blue box behind her.

"I know, it's bigger on the inside, that one sort of shocks people—"

"No…it's not that. That was obvious. I figured the inside was basically another dimension or else it would have torn the elevator apart, plus it would just be impractical to have that large of a ship anyway, unless it were really small on the outside."

"Oh…that's logical. What were you concerned about then?" The Doctor wondered.

"Why are you following me?"

"I don't understand."

"The day I was locked in the cedar chest, the day I was adopted, the playground where I broke my arm, the recital, the school the night my parents died, the funeral, even one of my book signings. I wasn't paying attention back then. I didn't notice. Every major event in my life that box has been there. You came to visit my house and now you're saving my life from an elevator… Why? Why are you following me, what's so important about me? And what in the hell is Torchwood?" The pair of them stared at each other for a long moment. The Doctor looked confused, Gene looked somewhere between angry and curious. "What's so special about me? You can be anywhere in any time with an incalculable number of more interesting life forms and you've been following me. Why? Is it because I know too much? Do I do something wrong? Of what importance am I?"

"Gene, I've only met you twice." The Doctor said a very honest, open look on his face. "I visited your house and we traveled once."

"Time machine… I've met you twice, once at my recital and once when you came to my house. I haven't traveled with you, wait, time travel. We're meeting in the wrong order. Your past met me in my future, that's how you traveled with me."

"Wibbly wobbly, timey whimey."

"Why me?" Gene wondered. "What's so special about me?"

"Says the first human to understand the ways of time travel."

"Why would you be looking at my past though? Why do that…unless… Oh."

"'Oh' what?" The Doctor inquired.

"It's just, why does anyone look to the past…?" _To find what doesn't exist in the present or future. I'm going to die._ "Sorry, never mind. I'm being stupid."

"No it's, it's fine."

"But time travel…" Gene said, grabbing her keys out of her pocket and walking to her house, the Doctor following her. She turned the key in the lock and opened the door. "I mean, I knew it would be possible someday, but—well if it were possible one day it would be possible in all points of time, but…it's amazing."

"It is." The Doctor agreed. The two of them went up the stairs and Gene went to her bedroom. Unlike the rest of the house, her room was slightly messy, not enough to be dirty, but enough to be considered 'organized chaos'. "You prefer things to not be symmetrical."

"So I don't start thinking about the patterns. It's easier if I don't get distracted by little things." Gene moved forward and grabbed the violin case that sat on her side table, she then pulled open the drawer and pulled out a book. She opened it and pulled out an old pressed rose that she slipped into her violin case before she turned and smiled at the Doctor.

"How do you know about Torchwood?"

"I don't…but they know me." Gene said with a frown. "I take it you know them."

"I know them. They're the Earth's defense against aliens."

"So they aren't friends of yours."

"No, we get on fine…now."

"Now…"

"Well, the institute was started to keep me away, but then they realized I was more of a help than a hindrance. Sometimes we get along sometimes we don't. Depends on the time."

"Is Rose still with you?"

"Hmm…Rose? Oh! Rose! Yeah, she's brilliant! Still with me. Probably should mention to her that you're coming along."

"Probably." Gene chuckled.

"Come on, Genie, we shouldn't keep Rose waiting."

"Genie?"

"Oh, sorry, nickname from last time. Hope you don't mind."

"No…it's fine." The Doctor held out his hand to Gene and she took it. She took it and the pair of them walked to the TARDIS quickly. Inside, leaning against the rail was Rose.

"There you are, I wondered where you…were." Rose turned and saw Gene and froze before running forward and hugging her. "Gene!"

"Ummm…hi." Gene said awkwardly. Lord, I haven't seen you since—"

"Rose, she hasn't done that yet. We've met in the wrong order." The Doctor said, taking off his coat and throwing it over the rail.

"Oh, so me hugging you must feel really weird then. I'm sorry…" Rose said, pulling away.

"Yeah…sorry."

"You're different."

"How?"

"Rose…" The Doctor shook his head at her.

"Ignore him. You just aren't as…lively I guess. You've got your head in the clouds too far is all." Rose shrugged.

"Oh…sorry."

"No, no, don't be sorry. It's just weird. You know someone one way and then they're different. It's time that's to blame not you." Rose turned and looked at the Doctor. "You said we needed to go somewhere."

"I did, didn't I? Where do you want to go?" The Doctor asked, turning to look at Gene.

"Anywhere."

"Alright, but I have one rule, well I have lots of rules, but my rule for you is no free rides."

"What?"

"I hear that you can play the violin better than anyone. I hope I get to hear a song one day."

"A song in exchange for time travel and a possibility to actually stop thinking without turning to drugs like poor Sherlock did? I'm so in."

"Brilliant. Off we go!"

* * *

**Next time:... Nope, spoilers. Not saying a word. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry about the wait, no internet all weekend. :( **

**To the reviewer(s):**

**Mackenziejen: Thank you ever so much. **

**I don't own Doctor Who... Just a friend who told me i was crazy enough to write and another friend who gave me an idea to write.**

_**Italics is thoughts**_

**Underlining is writing.**

* * *

The Idiot's Lantern

"So you see something suspicious and you go and ring someone's doorbell?" Gene wondered.

"Of course, best way to learn about the strange things that are going on."

"One problem, I don't have an English accent. Won't that be strange?" Gene inquired as Rose pressed the doorbell.

"Don't talk too much, and when you do, fake it. You speak four languages fluently, I'm sure you can fake an accent." The Doctor smiled at her.

"But—" the front door opened to a grumpy looking man.

"Hi!" The Doctor and Rose beamed at him.

"Who are you then?" he asked gruffly.

"Let's see, then. Judging by the look of you, family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war, therefor I represent Queen and country." The Doctor stated, holding up a piece of paper. Gene caught sight of it and saw that it was blank. "Just doing a little check of Her forthcoming Majesty's subjects before the great day. Don't mind if I come in? Na, I didn't think you did, thank you." The Doctor, Gene, and Rose pushed past him into the house.

"What is that?" Gene asked.

"What's what?" The Doctor whispered back.

"Why can everyone see things on that paper when I can't? I've seen someone do that before and I just see white paper."

"Do you? My you are brilliant, lovely." The Doctor beamed at her. "I'll explain later." He promised as they stopped in the living room. "Not bad. Very nice. Very well kept. I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs?"

"Connolly," the woman replied gently.

"Now then, Rita. I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative. Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit." Mr. Connolly said, making it very clear how controlling he was.

"Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more. I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty. Nice flags. Why are they not flying?" The Doctor wondered pointing at the flags that hadn't yet been put up.

"There we are Rita, I told you, Get them up. Queen and country." Mr. Connolly insisted. The Doctor glanced slightly at Gene, waiting.

"I'm sorry." Mrs. Connolly apologized, looking down.

"Get it done. Do it now."

"Hold on a minute." Gene piped up, her voice somewhere between very American and very British, teetering on the edge of convincing. Mr. Connolly ignored her.

"Like the gentleman says." He continued to his wife.

"Hold on a minute." Gene started again, her voice taking on the British accent with ease now. "You've got hands, Mr. Connolly. Two big hands. So why is that your wife's job?" Mr. Connolly got on her nerves already. He reminded her of her bullies throughout her life. People who thought they had had more power over her than she did.

"Well, it's housework, innit?"

"And that's a woman's job?" Gene asked with raised eyebrows. The Doctor smiled. Gene was feeling something, even if it was just sympathy. She could feel something.

"Of course it is."

"Mr. Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" Gene inquired.

"She's a female."

"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?"

"No. Not at all."

"You're right, she has many people to help make sure that she is treated like the queen she is. Now get busy." Gene stated in a voice that left little to be argued with.

"Right. Yes, ma'am. You'll be proud of us, sir, ma'am. We'll have Union Jacks left, right and center."

"Excuse me, Mr. Connolly. Hang on a minute. Union Jacks?" Rose asked.

"Yes, that's right, isn't it?" Mr. Connolly asked, sounding very sheepish.

"That's the Union Flag. It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea."

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, I do apologize."

"Well, don't get it wrong again, there's a good man. Now get to it!" Rose ordered. The Doctor smiled.

"Right then! Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure. Union Flag?" He asked Rose quietly as the three of them sat down on the sofa.

"Mum went out with a sailor." Rose shrugged.

"I bet she did." The Doctor chuckled. "Anyway, I'm the Doctor, this is Gene, and this is Rose, and you are?" He asked the young man in the room.

"Tommy."

"Well, sit yourself down, Tommy. Have a look at this. I love telly, don't you?" The Doctor wondered.

"Yeah, I think it's brilliant."

"Good man! Keep working, Mr. C! Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" He asked the two other's quietly.

"Did you say you were a doctor?" Mrs. Connolly wondered.

"Yes, I am."

"Can you help her? Oh please, can you help her, Doctor?" Mrs. Connolly pleaded.

"Now then, Rita. I don't think the gentleman needs to know."

"No, the gentleman does." The Doctor protested.

"Tell us what's wrong, and we can help." Rose promised. Mrs. Connolly burst into tears and Rose was instantly by her side, comforting her. Gene bit her lip, she never knew what to do when people became emotional. "I'm sorry. It's all right. Come here. It's okay."

"Hold on a minute. Queen and country's one thing, but this is my house! What the?  
What the hell am I doing? Now you listen here, Doctor. You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!" Mr. Connolly snapped, throwing the things in his hands down.

"A lot of people are being bundled into—"

"I am talking!"

"And I'm not listening!" The Doctor shouted back. "Now you, Mr. Connolly, you are staring into a deep, dark pit of trouble if you don't let me help. So I'm ordering you, sir! Tell me what's going on!" Three thumps echoed through the house.

"She won't stop. She never stops."

"We started hearing stories, all round the place." Tommy said. "People who've changed. Families keeping it secret because they were scared. Then the police started finding out. We don't know how, no one does. They just turn up, come to the door and take them, any time of the day or night."

"Show me."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Gran? It's Tommy. It's all right, Gran. I've brought help." He turned on the lights and a woman with no face was revealed.

"Her face is completely gone." The Doctor said in shock before running his screwdriver over her quickly. "Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shutdown. She's ticking over. It's like her brain has been wiped clean."

"No."

"What?" The Doctor asked, turning to look at Gene.

"The math, the biology… It's an anomaly… She's—"

"What're we going to do, Doctor? We can't even feed her." Tommy interrupted, worried, scared. The front door burst open downstairs.

"We've got company!" Rose called.

"It's them. They've come for her!" Mrs. Connolly said with wide fearful eyes.  
"Quickly!" Gene insisted, turning to Tommy. "What was she doing before this happened? Where was she? Tell me. Quickly, think!"

"I can't think! She doesn't leave the house! She was just—" A man dressed in black burst into the room.

"Hold on a minute. There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One—" The man punched the doctor in the face and he fell to the ground.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, running to his side, trying to wake him up as the men covered Tommy's gran with a blanket and dragged her out of the room. Gene watched very carefully with the way they moved before she jumped at Mrs. Connelly's shout.

"Leave her alone! No!"

"Doctor!" Rose called again. Everyone but the traveling trio left the room, chasing after the grandmother they wouldn't be able to get back from the men in black. The Doctor sat up suddenly.

"Ah, hell of a right hook. Have to watch out for that." The voices below grew louder.

"Don't fight it. Back inside."  
"Rose, Gene, come on!" The Doctor insisted. The three of them ran down the stairs quickly.

"Get back inside!" Mr. Connelly insisted. Gene froze in the living room and glanced at the television. A red energy was coming from the screen.

"What are you?"

"But Dad, they took her!"

"Don't fight it, son. Don't fight it."

"Hurry up you two!" The Doctor shouted from the street.

"Dad, they took her! That was Gran and they took her!"

"Come on, back inside, now." Gene watched the energy dissipate and looked closely at the television and took a pen out of her pocket before writing on her arm the supplier.

Magpie's Electricals. Gran is an anomaly. Can walk, wouldn't be able to walk without major neuron activity, unlike what you described. Mind still exists, just not in her, otherwise she would be brain dead. 

"Anyway, how did they find her? Who told them?" Tommy wondered.

"You! Get the hell out of my house!" Mr. Connelly snapped.

"One second!"

"No! Get out of my house!"

Turn over, Doctor.

"I'm going now. Thanks for all of the help. Shame on you for calling our lovely flag a Union Jack on solid ground." Gene quickly left the house and ran into the street.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss. I'm afraid you're too late. I was just about to lock the door." Magpie said simply.

"Oh, and I really wanted to buy a television." Gene said, feigning disappointment.

"Come back tomorrow, please."

"You'll be closed, won't you?" Gene asked sweetly, leaning on the counter.

"What?"

"The coronation is tomorrow. Aren't you going to be closed?"

"Yes, yes, of course. The big day. I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Please go." He showed her away.

"Where I come from," Gene said, switching back to her American accent, "televisions cost a lot of money. Yet, nearly all of London is wired up. You're practically giving them away. Why?" Gene asked seriously.

"I have my reasons."

"I'm all ears…well not really, I only have two, but I _am _listening." A woman appeared on a TV and began to cry out.

"Hungry! Hungry!"

"What's that?" Gene wondered, pulling out her pen and writing on her hand.

It's the TV's. A girl in the TV, something red too. 

Gene capped her pen as the man responded. "It's just a television. One of these modern programs. Now, I really do think you should leave. Right now!"

"Not until my questions are answered. Why are you selling them so cheaply?"

"It's my patriotic duty. Seems only right that as many folk as possible get to watch the coronation. We may be losing the Empire but we can still be proud. Twenty million people they reckon will be watching. Imagine that. And twenty million people can't be wrong, eh, so why don't you get yourself back home and get up, bright and early, for the big day."

"Home? I can't go home, I don't have a key. I'm locked out. Besides, there's more to see here I think."

"I need to close."

"There is something going on out there and there's only one link, one anomaly. Your television. What's going on?"

"I knew this would happen. I knew I'd be found out." He said, locking the shop door with a definitive click.

"What are you going to do then? What's in this for you?"

"For me? Perhaps some peace."

"From what? Or should I say from who?" Gene wondered, turning to the tv.

"What a pretty little girl. What a smart little girl."

"What are you?" Gene asked, opening her pen, knowing she had very little time.

"I'm the Wire, and I'm hungry!"

It's called the wire, that's what has everyone's faces and minds. They can't be brain dead, they never could have been. She feeds off of their minds! Go to the

Red light gripped Gene's face and the sudden movement made her drop her pen. "Oh, so delicious!" The Wire cried happily.

"Just think of that audience tomorrow, my dear, all settling down to watch the coronation. Twenty million people. Things will never be the same again. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Magpie apologized.

"Goodnight, children, everywhere." The Wire beamed before.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know." DI Bishop demanded.

"Well, for starters, I know you can't wrap your hand around your elbow and make your fingers meet." The Doctor said. Rose chuckled under her breath.

"Don't get clever with me. You were there today at Florizel Street, and now breaking into this establishment. Now you're connected with this. Make no mistake."

"Well, the thing is, Detective Inspector Bishop—"

"How do you know my name?"

"It's written inside your collar." Rose giggled, nudging the Doctor.

"Bless your mum. But I can't help thinking, Detective Inspector, you're not exactly doing much detective inspecting, are you?" The Doctor questioned.

"I'm doing everything in my power."

"All you're doing is grabbing those faceless people and hiding them as fast as you can. Don't tell me orders from above, hmm? Coronation Day. The eyes of the world are on London Town so any sort of problem just gets swept out of sight."

"The nation has an imagine to maintain."

"Oh that's very British." Rose scoffed.

"But doesn't it drive you mad, doing nothing? Don't you want to get out there and investigate?" The Doctor asked with wide eyes.

"Of course I do. But, with all the crowds expected, we haven't got the man power. Even if we did, this is beyond anything we've ever seen. I just don't know anymore. Twenty years on the force, I don't even know where to start. We haven't the faintest clue what's going on."

"Well, that could change." The Doctor smiled. He remembered how reliable Gene was when it came to information.

"How?"

"I have a source. I'd like some information from you as well. Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know."

"We started finding them about a month ago. Persons left sans visage. Heads just blank." DI Bishop stated.

"Is there any sort of pattern?" Rose inquired.

"Yes, spreading out from North London. All over the city. Men, women, kids, grannies. The only real lead is there's been quite a large number in—"  
"Florizel Street." The Doctor nodded as someone entered with a person covered in a sheet. Rose knew who it was instantly. The pink leggings—because she didn't like the skirt—and the black flats.

"Found another one, sir."

"Oh, er, good man, Crabtree. Here we are, Doctor. Take a good look. See what you can deduce." DI Bishop nodded as the blanket was taken off.

"Gene…" The Doctor said, his voice sad as he moved forward to grab her shoulders gently.

"You know her?"

"Know her? She…she's one of my friends. She's brilliant." Instantly Rose felt something strange drop into her stomach. The way he looked at her…it wasn't how it had been when he'd first met her. It wasn't even how he looked at her when they had traveled in the past. It was more…and Rose hated it.

"They found her in the street, apparently, over by the square, abandoned." Crabtree stated.

"That's unusual. That's the first one out in the open. Heaven help us if something happens in public tomorrow for the big day. We'll have Torchwood on our backs then, make no mistake."

"They did _what_?" The Doctor asked furiously, holding onto Gene's hands and not letting go, much to Rose's despair.

"I'm sorry?"

"They left her where?"

"Just in the street."

"In the street. They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street. And as a result, that makes things simple. Very, very simple. Do you know why?"

"No."

"Because now, Detective Inspector Bishop, there is no power on this Earth that can stop me. Come on!" The Doctor moved to let go of Gene's hands but then he froze. "Wait… Turn over, Doctor?" The Doctor turned over her arm and instantly his mind jumped to a long ago time. He shook his head, forgetting about his long dead friend from Gallifrey, and read what Gene had written on her left forearm.

Magpie's Electricals. Gran is an anomaly. Can walk, wouldn't be able to walk without major neuron activity, unlike what you described. Mind still exists, just not in her, otherwise she would be brain dead. It's the TV's. A girl in the TV, something red too. It's called the wire, that's what has everyone's faces and minds. They can't be brain dead, they never could have been. She feeds off of their minds! Go to the

"Oh, you lovely girl, searching for the truth. Thank you." He kissed her cheek gently. "I promise I'll get you back, alright? I know what to do. You're right, you're still out there, all of you are." He let go of her hands and ran quickly. He had work to do.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Tommy, talk to me. I need to know exactly what happened inside your house."

"What the blazes do you think you're doing?" Mr. Connolly snapped.

"I want to help, dad."

"Mister Connolly…" The Doctor started.

"Shut your face, you, whoever you are. We can handle this ourselves." Mr. Connolly said angrily. "Listen, you little twerp. You're hardly out of the blooming' cradle, so I don't expect you to understand. But I've got a position to maintain. People round here respect me. It matters what people think."

"Is that why you did it, dad?" Tommy wondered.

"What do you mean? Did what?"

"You ratted on Gran. How else would the police know where to look, unless some coward told them—"

"How dare you! Do you think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward?"

"You don't get it, do you? You fought against fascism, remember? People telling you how to live, who you could be friends with, who you could fall in love with, who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it? You were fighting so that little twerps like me could do what we want, say what we want. Now you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone, haven't you? Even Gran. All to protect your precious reputation."

"Eddie is that true?" Mrs. Connolly demanded.

"I did it for us, Rita. She was filthy. A filthy, disgusting thing!"

"She's my mother. All the others you informed on, all the people in our street, our friends." Mrs. Connolly realized in horror.

"I had to. I, I did the right thing." Mr. Connolly said in his defense.

"The right thing for us or for you, Eddie? You go, Tommy. Go with the Doctor and do some good. Get away from this house, it's poison. We had a ruddy monster under this roof, all right, but it weren't my mother!" Mrs. Connolly snapped, slamming the door.

"Rita!"

"Tommy? I need your help." The Doctor said.

"Of course. No problem."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Oh, hello. This isn't right. This is very much not right." The Doctor licked the device in his hand. "Tastes like iron. Bakelite. Put together with human hands, yes, but the design itself. Oh, beautiful work. That is so simple."

"That's incredible. It's like a television, but portable. A portable television." DI Bishop said in awe.

"It's not the only power source in this room." The Doctor said flashing his sonic. The televisions around them all lit up with a different face in each screen.

"Gran?" Tommy asked just as Rose said: 'Isn't that your grandmother?' The Doctor's eyes landed on Gene's face. Instead of help me, as all of the others were mouthing, she seemed to be mid-ramble. She paused for a second before starting another sentence.

_Doctor,_

"I'm on my way." The Doctor promised.

_you can trap her. Instead of transmitting you can trap her inside a receiver. Please…just…hurry. There's so many people… Please Doctor._

"What do you think you're doing?" Magpie asked, walking into the room.

"I want my friend restored, and I think that's beyond a little backstreet electrician, so tell me, who's really in charge here?"

"Yoo hoo! I think that must be me. Ooh, this one's smart as paint."

"Is she talking to us?" Rose wondered.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves. May I introduce you to my new friend?

"Jolly nice to meet you." The Wire smiled. "And that foolish girl you're all so worried about? She was delicious. So much energy for such a small human mind. I didn't know a mind could think so much. Oh her synapses were firing non-stop. How did she ever live without having a headache all of the time?"

"Oh my God, it's her, that woman off the telly." Rose and DI Bishop said at once.

"No, it's just using her image." The Doctor stated, balling up his fists in anger.

"What? What are you?" Tommy wondered.

"I'm the Wire, and I will gobble you up, pretty boy. Every last morsel. And when I have feasted, I shall regain the corporeal body, which my fellow kind denied me." The black and white screen morphed into one full of bright colors.

"Good Lord. Color television!" The DI said with wide eyes.

"So your own people tried to stop you?"

"They executed me. But I escaped in this form and fled across the stars."

"And now you're trapped in the television."

"Not for much longer." She said in a sing-song voice.

"Doctor, is this what got my Gran?"

"Yes, Tommy. It feeds off the electrical activity of the brain, but it gorges itself like a great overfed pig, taking people's faces, their essences. It stuffs itself. Gene saw it from the beginning. She knew what it would do."

"And you let her do it, Magpie." Rose snapped at him.

"I had to. She allowed me my face. She's promised to release me at the time of manifestation."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"The appointed time. My crowning glory."

"Doctor, the coronation!" Rose said in understanding.

"For the first time in history, millions gathered around a television set. But you're not strong enough yet, are you? You can't do it all from here. That's why you need this. You need something more powerful! This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver." A trap! _That's what Gene meant! Turn the Wire's plan against her. Make her brilliant plan her undoing._

"What a clever thing you are! You might taste as good as your friend. But I doubt it, she was so much…ah so much. But why fret about it? Why not just relax? Kick off your shoes and enjoy the Coronation. Believe me, you'll be glued to the screen." The red energy snapped outwards and grabbed them.

"Doctor!" the others cried out for help.

"Hungry! Hungry! The Wire is hungry! Ah, this one is tasty. Oh, I'll have lashings of him! Delicious! Two minds, just so sweet and ripe for the picking in one day." The Doctor grabbed his sonic and the Wire instantly knew she was beaten.

"Ah! This one's armed. He's armed and clever. Withdraw! Withdraw!" All four of them fell onto the floor as the light let them go.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"We don't even know where to start looking. It's too late." Tommy stated.

"It's never too late, as a wise person once said. Kylie, I think. The Wire's got big plans. It'll need. Yes, yes, yes, it's got to harvest half the population. Millions and millions of people and where are we?"

"Muswell Hill."

"Muswell Hill. Muswell Hill! Which means Alexandra Palace, biggest TV transmitter in North London. Oh, that's why it chose this place. Tommy?"

"What are you going to do?"

"We're going shopping."

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"I cant do this! Please, please don't make me!" Magpie begged.

"The time is at hand. Feed me! Feed me!"

"There!" Rose pointed towards Magpie.

"Come on!" The Doctor shouted, but he was stopped short by a guard.

"Wait, wait, wait! Where do you think—" The Doctor flashed his psychic paper. "Oh! I'm very sorry, sir. Shouldn't you be at the Coronation?"

"They're saving me a seat."

"Who did he think you were?" Rose wondered.

"King of Belgium, apparently."

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Feed me!" The Wire screamed from the top of a tower. Red energy began to stream towards the tower as the Doctor climbed the tower, holding onto the wire in his arms. "Oh. Feast. Feasting The Wire is feasting."

"It's too late! It's too late for all of us!" Magpie insisted.

"I shall consume you, Doctor. Just as I consumed that brilliant girl. Your cleverness won't save you."

"I won't let you do this, Magpie!" The Doctor retorted.

"Help me, Doctor. It burns. It took my face, my soul." Magpie pleaded with him.

"You cannot stop the Wire. Soon I shall become manifest."

"No more of this. You promised me peace!" Magpie called to the Wire.

"And peace you shall have." She smirked before he was destroyed, turned into nothing more than atoms.

"Been burning the candle at both ends? You've overextended yourself, Missis. You shouldn't have had a crack at poor old Magpie there." He grabbed the television set without being electrocuted. "Rubber soles, swear by them!" He smiled as he plugged in the long copper cable to the television.

"Oh dear. Has our little plan gone horribly wrong, Doctor?" The Wire taunted with nothing happened.

"Come on, Rose, come on Tommy." The Doctor whispered under his breath. He smiled when his idea finally came to life and the red energy began to retreat to the television.

"No!" The Wire screamed in anger.

"It's close down, I'm afraid, and no epilogue." The Doctor smiled when the screen went blank.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Oh, it's my grandson, Oh, son!" Tommy's grandmother engulfed him in a warm hug.

"Where's Gene?" The Doctor asked, looking around for her, worried.

"Behind you. Sorry, I'm a bit short." Gene said simply. The Doctor whirled around and sighed before he pulled her into a tight hug. Gene didn't move for a moment, she wasn't used to human contact. That last real time she was hugged was her parents' funeral. She didn't know how to react. Slowly Gene wrapped her arms around the Doctor and relaxed against his chest. She didn't realize how much a person could miss human contact until she went without it for nearly eight years.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor wondered.

"I'm fine." Gene promised. They slowly pulled away from each other and the Doctor looked her over quickly, making sure she was just fine.

"Good." He smiled warmly at her and Rose glanced back and forth between the two of them. They hadn't been like that before, they'd never been that close. It made her furious that Gene didn't even know him, but she was already getting too close to him…too personal.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Is that it, then, Tommy? New monarch, new age, new world. No room for a man like Eddie Connelly." The Doctor asked Tommy as his father left his house with his suitcase.

"That's right. He deserves it."

"Tommy, go after him." Rose encouraged him.

"What for?"

"He's your dad." Rose stated.

"He's an idiot."

"Of course he is." Gene agreed. "But you're clever, so clever. I'd do anything to have my dad and mom back, just for a moment. You're so clever…don't lose him. Go." Tommy smiled at Rose and Gene before he took off towards his father, carrying his suitcase for him. The three travelers all picked up a glass of orange juice in a silent, cheerful toast.

* * *

**Next time:... Nope, spoilers. Not saying a word. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**To the reviewer(s):**

**The Yoshinator: Rose is a bit hissy. It's all good. :D**

**I don't own Doctor Who... Just a friend who told me i was crazy enough to write and another friend who gave me an idea to write.**

_**Italics is thoughts/memories. However, the last bit of italics is a dream.**_

* * *

Sweet Dreams…or Not

Rose had gone to bed without saying a word, but the other two stayed up, thinking of the day they had had. "For a moment or two…I forgot to think…and I just acted. I just went off to Magpie's. I didn't think of how things were going to turn out." Gene smiled. "I mean, there were some moments that were full of thoughts, but…for once I stopped thinking and I felt. I felt fear and pain and joy and hope. I haven't felt like that in a long time." Gene said with wide eyes looking out at the stars with her legs dangling out of the TARDIS doors. The Doctor smiled and gently placed a blanket around her shoulders before sitting down next to her.

"How did it feel?"

"Wonderful. Is that what it always feels like to be normal, to not have to notice everything, to not have to have an explanation behind everything?"

"Sometimes it's frightening to not have explanations, to not know what's coming, but sometimes…it's brilliant." The Doctor shot her a crooked smile.

"It's hard sometimes, seeing truth when all you see is logic."

"There's truth in logic."

"But not everything truthful is logical. Emotions aren't logical…I always have trouble with those."

"We'll work on it."

"You'll let me stay?" Gene wondered hopefully.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I just never played the violin for you." Gene teased. The Doctor was surprised, he hadn't known this Gene to be teasing. Already she was more like the Gene he'd met in the past.

"We've had a busy day. I'll let it slide." Both of them burst into laughter. "See? You're better with emotions than you give yourself credit for."

"It's strangely easier around you. Maybe it's because you break all of the rules my brain knows. My mind simply shuts down around you because it knows it can't possibly understand."

"So maybe I truly can constitute as a real doctor in this case." Gene smiled at him warmly before frowning.

"I just…don't want to be so different."

"May I…?"

"What?"

"No, it's nothing…" The Doctor shook his head and looked away.

"What is it?" Gene asked seriously.

"I was going to ask if I could read your mind. All of this talk…and I was curious as to how your mind worked, but that would be a very rude thing to ask."

"Yes." Gene said after a moment of thought. "As long as you stay away from…certain things." The Doctor looked at her in shock. "Why are you so shocked? All my life, I've been strange, a freak, and now I have a chance to have someone actually understand me. What do I have to lose? If you accept how crazy I really am I don't lose anything, if you freak out and leave me back at my house then I'll just go back to how I normally was… With all of the strange things you've seen, the odds of you leaving me behind are sort of slim." The Doctor opened his mouth as though to say something, but then he closed it again.

He slowly lifted his hands and put them against her temples. "If you don't want me to see something, just envision a door in front of it and close it. Alright?"

"Yeah…"

"Just relax, it won't hurt a bit, I promise."

"I trust you." Gene promised, closing her eyes. The Doctor hardly reached out with his mind before he was surrounded by the warm ocean that was Gene's consciousness. "Whoa… I can feel you in my head…it's really strange."

"I can stop."

"Don't. It's fine." Gene promised. The Doctor could understand why Gene always felt like she was drowning in her own thoughts. He could understand why it was so hard for her to feel and process her emotions properly. He could feel her pain, she constantly felt like she was treading water, trying to survive. Too much knowledge coming at her at once would be like a rip tide to her, dragging her under endlessly.

Her mind was a computer with too much information on it, sometimes she crashed.

The Doctor slowly began to tiptoe through her memories and her thoughts.

_"When I grow up, I'm going to be an astronaut. Then I'll be able to walk on Jupiter." An older boy missing a tooth said to his friends with a smile. Gene looked up from the tiny keyboard she had at the boys._

_"But you cin't walk on Jupiter, it's composed of deadwy gasses and you'd be cwushed by da amount of gwavity." Gene told the boys matter-of-factly in her young, little voice._

_"I can do whatever I want."_

_"No, you cin't actually." Gene disagreed before turning back to the keyboard._

_"Can't I? Hey, wanna hear the little one scream?" The boy asked his friends before he grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her._

_"No! Let go of me!" Gene protested, trying to pull away. He covered her mouth and carried her up the stairs, his friends cheering her on._

_"Lock her up like the freak she is!"_

_"Put her in the closet."_

_"No, I've got a better idea, put her in here." A boy suggested, opening an almost-full cedar chest. Gene thrashed in the boy's arms, trying to get away. The boy pushed her down into the stuffed chest and quickly slammed the lid down, locking it with the key._

_"Let me out! Pwease! Let me out!" Gene begged. She had a hard time breathing, her small body compressed to its limit. She couldn't move and it was so dark._

_"You'd better get used to small dark places, because that's where you're going to end up. They're gonna have you locked up in a psych ward one day." Something banged on the cedar chest and then everything went silent._

_Gene tried to push the lid open, but it didn't move. She started hyperventilating, and then the tears came…and all of the fear._

Slam! A door shut in Gene's mind and the Doctor backed away from it. "Sorry…"

"Not my best moment." Gene muttered. The Doctor stepped around the door and suddenly saw light.

_Gene felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her. "You're alright, honey. You're safe now." The elderly woman promised. Gene cried into her shoulder for a minute before trying to slow her tears._

_"How did you find me? I yelled and yelled and yelled and no one came for me."_

_"A man heard the other kids gloating and he told me where to find you. Thank god he did, these walls are so terribly thick, and I'm not so young anymore." The woman said. Out of the corner of Gene's eye, she saw the window and she looked through it. Standing outside of the orphanage on the other side of the street was a tall blue box. A man in a long coat pushed open the door before pausing and looking up through the window, a smile on his face as his brown eyes met Gene's blue eyes. He then turned around and stepped into the box, disappearing from the street._

"That was me." The Doctor said slowly.

"Yeah, I didn't realize at the time…but yeah. I suppose I should thank you. I might have died in there, they never would have told her where I was."

"You're welcome." The Doctor said, continuing his journey through her mind. He met Gene's parents and watched as they took her from the orphanage. Another door slammed shut.

"Sorry…personal things that day."

"It's fine."

Gene had had the most wonderful parents. They had actually understood her. They didn't care that she was smarter than them. They didn't get angry when she 'crashed' and became irritable and grumpy. They tried to help her manage all of the ideas that came to her, tried to help her tame her thoughts. They were the only people she truly loved. The only people she had real feelings for. She was a blinding light, and they were her conductors. They made her brilliant.

The pain when they'd died lingered in the Doctor's hearts like a stab wound, but Gene took that away by closing another door.

The Doctor saw that Gene did appreciate her godparents, but she couldn't feel for them, not the way she felt for her parents. She'd lost the light in her life, the two beings that allowed her to feel. She never felt again, never deeply. She cared for her new sister and her sister's cousin, but it wasn't anything more than a friendly feeling…lacking much warmth.

All throughout her life, the Doctor saw himself, popping up in random places, protecting her, watching her.

He saw himself catch her when a rude college student had pushed her over after she'd made him look stupid. Gene had only caught a small glimpse of him though. He saw himself at her graduation, off to the side, barely within Gene's notice. The Doctor came to their meeting, the falling elevator and all of her terror as she fell.

He saw her asking him why she was important, why she mattered, why he would watch _her _life.

A door slammed hard.

The Doctor jumped and lowered his hands, opening his eyes only to find that while he'd had his closed he'd moved closer to her, their foreheads almost touching. They pulled away from each other quickly, both of them blushing.

"What was that?"

"I figured out something about the future. I figured that knowing your future before it happens is a bit taboo."

"It is."

"Then let's not go there."

"But if you already know it—"

"You don't. Let's keep it that way." Gene said with a small smile.

"Alright…" The Doctor agreed. "What?" He asked when he noticed Gene beaming happily at him a moment later.

"You haven't run away screaming yet."

"Why would I?"

"I'm a freak."

"No…you're just scared, and sad, and you don't know how to look at the world anymore. You cover up all of your emotions with your numbers and science so that you don't have to feel the pain anymore. There's nothing wrong with being scared. I like helping people. And you do need a friend."

"Yeah, I suppose I do." Gene said with a sigh. She blinked a few times and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor wondered, wiping her cheek gently.

"Yeah, fine." She said, embarrassed. "Just stirred up some memories is all… Things I don't really remember. Sorry."

"It's alright to cry."

"I know it is… I just haven't done it in a long time. It feels strange now." Gene said standing up, handing the blanket to the Doctor. "Thanks…for not running."

"No problem."

"And…thank you, for the hug." She said, biting her lip. "It's been…seven years since anyone's done more than shake my hand… I don't know why I told you that. I'm sorry. I just wanted to say thank you." Half-way through her last second the Doctor got to his feet and wrapped his arms around her, the blanket forgotten. She hugged him back and leaned against his chest, hoping that he wouldn't notice the two tears that managed to slip down her cheeks and into his jacket.

"If you ever need anything, just ask." The Doctor whispered into her ear.

"You're being so kind to me. Why?"

"Do I need a motive?" The Doctor wondered, resting his chin on her head.

"Doesn't everyone?"

"You're my friend, and I care about you."

"But you don't know me."

"You keep forgetting. I know you better than you know yourself. Wibbly-wobbly, timey-whimey." The Doctor pulled away slightly and smiled at her, brushing her hair out of her face. "I think it will be hard for you, to relearn what it's like to feel. It will be strange getting all of those equations and numbers out of your head, but through it all, know that you're not alone. You can cry, you can laugh at things that the rest of us probably won't find funny, and by the stars you can be happy. I know you've had trouble with that. I've been in your head." He smiled at her faintly.

"What if I feel things wrong? Aren't they frightful, feelings?"

"They are the most terribly wonderful things in the universe. And you can never feel anything wrong, they're your feelings. That's what makes everyone so spectacular, their feelings."

"So basically I've been nothing for almost eight years."

"No, Genie…" He shook his head and kissed her forehead before looking deep into her eyes. "You're not nothing, you've just been hiding." He promised, a single tear rolling down his cheek. She'd lived such a lonely existence, lost in her own thoughts, drowning. For the first time, she was seeing the sunlight through the top of the water. That was always the scariest part of drowning, seeing the last ten feet and not knowing whether you'd see the unfiltered sunlight again or not.

Gene didn't know how to react to his tear. Had she really made that much of an impact on him in his past? She didn't know what to do, so she mimicked him and wiped his tear away. "You know…do I get better?"

"That's up to you." The Doctor smiled at her warmly. Suddenly feeling very awkward, Gene took a step back slowly.

"Um… I'm going to go get some sleep, alright?"

"Of course. Sweet dreams, Genie."

"Sweet dreams." Gene smiled back at him before she started to walk away. She paused and looked back at him. "Are the acoustics good in the TARDIS?"

"Should be, why?"

"Don't hurry to bed." Gene stated before she walked down the hallway and out of sight. The Doctor raised his eyebrows gently before standing up and closing the doors. He had known Gene once before, and when he met her that time, she'd been more emotional, more alive. He hoped that he was the Doctor who helped to make her come to life.

He sighed and moved toward the console, making sure that their flight through the night would be undisturbed. What had Gene figured out about her future? What had her clever brain learn about what was to come from so little information?

The Doctor froze in his thoughts when he heard it. A lone violin playing a sweet tune. It echoed through the TARDIS, making him smile. He'd only been kidding. He wouldn't send her home if she didn't play, but he was glad that she took her seriously. She really was the best violinist he had ever heard in his life, and that was saying something, he'd heard so many. For five minutes the tune carried on, until it slowed and ended.

"Sweet dreams, Genie." The Doctor smiled fondly before he himself headed off to bed. He changed and lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The previous day flooded into his head. His mind instantly strayed to the moment when he'd looked down at Gene's arm and it had been covered in her handwriting. She reminded him of one of his old friends…one of his dearest friends…

_Stop! Lots of people write on their arms, that doesn't mean that you have to think about her! _The Doctor hissed at himself and sighed heavily before he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

_I reached out for the ginger woman. She was stupid for standing in the open, anyone could have hurt her. I grabbed her and she instantly tried to pull away. "Let go!" She snapped attempting to twist out of my grip. I put my other hand over her mouth and looked around to make sure no one was coming._

_"Shh, be quiet, you silly girl." She instantly relaxed in my arms and let me lead her into a safer house. No place would truly be safe for her. "You have to run."_

_"Why?"_

_"They're coming after you." I told her urgently. Everyone was coming after her._

_"Why me? What's so special about me?" She asked, her blue eyes lingering on me, begging for answers. That was quite a role-reversal for us._

_"Because, they know what you have. They are going to destroy you before you can use it."_

_"But I don't have it anymore. I couldn't use it, that's why I gave it to you!"_

_"I know that, they don't. I'll end this war, I can do it, you have to go."_

_"You can't! It's too dangerous! I need to be there with you, you don't understand what the future holds—"_

_"I don't care, they want you, not me. I'll be fine." I promised her. We didn't have much time. They were coming. They were coming for her. If she didn't run now, she'd die._

_"But the war, it's only going to get worse. I'm the smartest, quickest thinker there is, let me stay and fight."_

_"No…now run. They're on their way."_

_"I'm smarter than they are."_

_"They have the visionary watching you every second. They are going to kill you."_

_"A visionary." She scoffed. "One can't keep track of me by themselves, even the old crone." She was over-confident, something I'd never seen before in her._

_"They don't know you're one…but they _are_ coming. Run to the academy, take this with you. Go down the elevator to the very bottom floor, I have a way for you to leave all of this behind. You'll be fine."_

_"I am _not _leaving my best friend behind to fight in this war! Especially not by himself!"_

_"No, you're not." I took my chance, what might be my last, first, and only chance all in one. I kissed her. I kissed the girl I'd loved for decades, the girl I always lied to when I told her we were just 'friends'. I'd always felt more, and at least now she'd know it. I may have kissed her…_

_But she kissed back. That was the important thing._

_"What—? I don't— Theta, I…"_

_"And now she's speechless. I've been wanting to do that for years." I smiled hugely, smugly. "Go, hurry."_

_"But—"_

_"No buts. Go, I'll find you, I promise."_

_"Promise you'll survive long enough to find me." She looked heartbroken. I didn't want to leave her alone, even if it was for a little while. She hated being alone. It drove her mad._

_"You know me, I'm indestructible." I promised. Her eyes widened and her hands twitched. She shook her head and looked at me, afraid._

_"Fifteen seconds and they'll be through the door."_

_"Let's run then." I smiled at her and took her hand, both of us sprinting into the world, running from all of the destruction and the certain doom that stalked the girl who'd always been at my side. She pushed me into a small alley._

_"Stay here, they won't find you." She said, one of her hands pressed against my chest, holding me to the wall. Her followers ran past the alleyway and she sighed in temporary relief._

_"Promise me you'll leave." She smiled and leaned in, kissing me gently._

_"I promise."_

_"Run fast."_

_"Find me faster."_

_"I will." I promised. I watched her run into the academy and then a saw her followers enter the building. I closed my eyes and prayed to whatever power that be. I prayed for her safety. A loud screeching noise filled the air, along with my friend's screams. I closed my eyes, and then I felt it. Regeneration energy. My friend was dying._

_I knew something was very wrong when her followers left the building, smug and confident. The building exploded. And the regeneration ceased to exist. Both of my hearts filled in absolute agony._

_My friend. _

_Kaya._

_My friend, Kaya, was dead._

The Doctor gasped and sat up, breathing harshly. Why did Gene remind him of Kaya? Was it the genius? Was it the loneliness that she had in her heart? Was it the way she wrote on her arms? Was it her eyes?

The Doctor blinked and looked down at his hands. "Some things may be similar between the two of them, but Gene is not Kaya… They are far too different to be the same person, wrong species, wrong personality, wrong feelings for art, wrong feelings for music. They are not the same person. And…I won't fail Gene the way I failed Kaya. I refuse."

* * *

**Next time: Gene is left alone.**


	7. Chapter 7

**To the reviewer(s):**

**Mackenziejen: Well, here's the next time for you. You want to know about Taboo? Here's some taboo for you. :D Thank you for all of the reviews. **

**I don't own Doctor Who... **

**Thank you Shirleylocked for telling me to write and thank you to my long-distance friend for giving me a few plot twists...well a lot of the plot twists. Thank you to the fifteen followers, the ten favorites, and the thirteen reviews. Banana milkshake anyone?**

* * *

The First Time Gene Was Left Behind Wasn't so Bad... Except...

"I can't believe her!" Rose snapped angrily at the Doctor.

"Rose—"

"She almost got you killed, that idiot!" Rose ranted. "Not to mention how callous she is when bad things happen. It's like she didn't care at all that those poor children were disappearing, and don't even get me started on that trip to hell. She was completely out of line."

"She just doesn't understand things the way we—"

"And now your defending her?" Rose asked with a scoff. "Of course you are. She made you jump down into a shaft that _literally_ went to hell, just because she was stupid and decided that it couldn't be _too_ far down." Rose ranted.

"I was going to cut my own rope anyway! She just beat me to—"

"I'm just saying that she's going to get you killed one of these days all because she's 'too socially awkward and too smart to understand her limitations'."

"I thought you liked Gene."

"Yeah, _that_ girl isn't Gene. I don't know who she is, but she is _not _Gene. Gene was thoughtful and used her head the right way, and she was kind and sweet and _not_ always chasing after things she shouldn't have!"

"Rose—"

"Oh, if you're just going to defend her I'm leaving." Rose snapped storming off to her room. The Doctor covered his eyes and leaned against the console. This wasn't good. Why had Rose suddenly decided to hate Gene? What had Gene done? Yes, Gene was a bit callous to some things. Yes, sometimes her emotions weren't always quite correct at the time she had them, but at least she was feeling something. What was so wrong with Gene? She was getting better…so much better.

Someone cleared their throat and the Doctor stood up straight and saw Gene standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh god you heard that… I'm so sorry. I promise she'll come around."

"I've heard much worse, believe me." Gene stated simply. She walked up the stairs slowly and leaned on the rail, putting her violin case down at her feet.

"I'm sorry. She isn't normally like that, I don't know what's gotten into her. I promise that things will get better. You really are starting to improve a lot—wait, why do you have your violin case with you?"

"I'm hurting both of you…and I don't think that that's appropriate."

"What do you mean?"

"You're both fighting because of me. It isn't right. You two are friends."

"But you're my friend too."

"I know. I'll come back…but Rose needs time to cool off. Whatever I did, I don't want your friendship to suffer for it. Maybe it will be better if we give her some time." The Doctor's eyes widened and he moved forward and hugged her tightly. She instantly wrapped her arms around him, accepting his hug graciously without the past awkwardness she had always felt.

"See? You're not thinking in numbers so much, you're thinking about feelings. You're getting so much better, what's so wrong with that?"

"I annoy Rose, that's what's wrong with it. It's fine. I'm getting better. And I'm having fun for the first time in years. I feel things now, even if they aren't necessarily the right things, I am feeling something…so I'm improving. I just don't want to make the people around me feel worse because I'm messing things up emotionally." The Doctor pulled away from her and looked at her with sad eyes.

"You're not going to let me tell you no are you?"

"No…" The Doctor looked down, obviously upset. "Hey, you can come pick me up as soon as Rose isn't so angry anymore, but for right now I really think she doesn't need me around right now."

"Alright…how can I ever fight your logic."

"Throw emotions at me and I'll be confused for months." Gene supplied easily. He chuckled and turned to the console.

"Where do you want to go? I mean…you won't be there long, I promise. I'll be there before an hour has a chance to pass, I promise."

"Earth, anywhere is fine, any time is fine." Gene said simply. The Doctor sighed and began moving around the console.

"What is it?"

"You're getting better at reading people."

"So…what is it?" Gene asked again.

"You remind me of someone I used to know."

"Who?"

"My friend Kaya."

"She died didn't she?"

"Because of me… A group of Time Lords killed her, she died because I told her to run and sent her right into a trap."

"I don't think so. You can't ever truly know what's going to happen."

"That's something she would have said."

"Well then, she was a very wise woman." Gene smiled at him as the TARDIS landed. The Doctor smiled at her faintly. Gene looked towards the door and before she could pick up her violin case the Doctor was hugging her one more time.

"One hour, no matter how long it takes for Rose to calm down, I promise I'll be there in an hour." He let go of her and she picked up her violin case.

"One hour?"

"Cross my hearts." He smiled at her.

"See you soon." She smiled back at him before she slowly walked out of the TARDIS, not noticing the Doctor's frown as she left.

Gene closed the door to the TARDIS and her eyes widened. She knew that the TARDIS had its own ideas as to where and when it should land, but this place made her feel sad and sick in the strangest ways. She didn't get back on the TARDIS though, she waited a whole two minutes in silence before the TARDIS finally disappeared. She knew exactly where she was standing, and she didn't want to turn around. She hadn't been to that spot in nearly eight years and she was afraid. She felt afraid.

The cemetery was quiet except for a few birds that chirped in the tree above her. The sun was shining and the sky was blue, but the cemetery was empty except for Gene. Gene took a deep breath and turned to look at her parents' graves. Her eyes widened when she saw a third grave alongside theirs. No one was supposed to be buried there, it was a family plot. Gene moved forward and looked down at the writing.

Gene Louise Cooper

Beloved Daughter

September 13, 1988- August 5, 2008

Rest in Peace

"I knew it…" Gene said with a huge sigh. She only had three years left, that's why the Doctor kept popping up in her childhood. The Doctor could never let go and that was his way of holding on, going back to watch her grow up. "What year is it then?" She bent down and touched the stone, getting goosebumps on her arms as she touched her own grave site. "2010…judging by the stone." Gene commented to herself. "Who can say they've visited their own grave? That's amusing." Gene chuckled to herself. She was sure a normal person wouldn't be laughing if they found their own grave.

She slowly walked away from her own grave and sat down under a tree a few hundred feet away, not wanting to stand there for too long. She pulled out her violin and began to play quietly, thinking about her upcoming death. Would she die traveling, or would some unforeseen disease take her after the Doctor had left her behind?

Would anyone miss her when she was gone?

Was there an actual body buried in that grave, or did she just never come back one day?

8DWDWDWDWDW8

A familiar whirring sound made Gene jump and put her violin away. She saw the TARDIS materialize in front of her and saw the doors open. She stepped into the TARDIS and could feel the sorrow in the air. The doors closed behind her and she instantly felt someone's arms around her. Someone was sobbing against her.

"Gene…" The Doctor whispered, holding her tightly. Gene dropped her violin and hugged him back.

"Doctor?" Gene asked gently, not letting go of him.

"Rose…she's gone. She's trapped in a parallel universe. My fault."

"No." Gene shook her head and pulled him closer. "It's not your fault."

"You don't understand—"

"No, look at me." Gene said, pulling away and grabbing his face tightly. "Look at me!" The Doctor's eyes slowly lifted to hers and he felt very suddenly like he was drowning, but not in a bad way. He was drowning in the warmth that filled Gene's eyes. It was the first time he had seen no thought in her at all, noting but pure emotion filled her features and it was beautiful. "It wasn't your fault."

The Doctor blinked. He could hear her voice trying to soothe him, but he couldn't hear her words clearly. He was too busy analyzing the warmth in Gene's eyes. Suddenly the echoing words had stopped and they were both frozen, just staring at each other.

"What is it?"

"That's beautiful." The Doctor whispered, lifting his hands to touch her face.

"What?"

"The spectacular Gene just appeared before my very eyes."

"I don't understand."

"Eight years…what are you thinking?" The Doctor asked curiously.

"I don't know… It's like…everything in nothing. I'm worried, and upset, and confused, and sad, and concerned for you and… It's all so much, but it feels… Oh my God…"

"And there it is. The real Gene Cooper who isn't drowning in her numbers."

"And you're thinking about this after—?"

"Better then dwelling… You're brilliant."

"And you're still sad."

"I know."

"You're tired." Gene stated and shook her head. "Come on." Gene led him towards the kitchen and sat him down on a stool before she turned and began making tea.

"Oh dear lord, tea? You're not even British."

"Oh my lord, accent, _you're _not even British." Gene teased back. "Do Time Lords even have accents?"

"Depends on where you live." The Doctor shrugged. "But _really _tea?"

"It's always been my favorite drink. My mom once bought me twenty boxes of tea for Christmas one year. They were gone by spring. Tea is just so pleasant."

"Tea fixes everything and you're not even British." The Doctor chuckled. Gene chuckled and put a mug down in front of him.

"Drink up, trust me. Warmth is always comforting." The Doctor took a sip and his eyes widened.

"How in the hell did you learn to outdo the British?" Gene chuckled and took a sip from her own cup of tea, leaning against the counter.

"It's just chemistry. You should try the cookies I invented when I was four. It took five tries but Mom said they were the best she'd ever had. We ate all of them before Dad could come home and try them." Gene smiled a warm, genuine smile. The Doctor patted the seat next to him and Gene sat down.

"It makes sense now."

"What makes sense?"

"You and Rose. When you and I met for the first time, I knew you didn't feel like the rest of the world… And when you ju—jumped into my life the second time you were completely different. So happy, so full of life, but—never mind umm… You two got along so well. You were thick as thieves. We all were. We were all so close. It happened fast for me back then. I didn't understand how we all got along so well so quickly. But you knew us before-hand. I wondered why, when you started traveling this time, you seemed to like her, but she didn't like you. And now the past makes sense. You knew she was going to disappear so you took the chance to be the friend she never allowed you to be. Brilliant."

"Hush now. I shouldn't know too much about my own future." Gene said simply.

"Too true." The Doctor sighed taking another drink.

"I jumped into your life?"

"Quite literally, actually. Hush now, don't get curious about my past." Gene smiled and got up to put her cup away. The Doctor grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Thank you. I needed things to be normal, just for a moment."

"I know."

"You always do don't you?" The Doctor smiled and let her go.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"No, no…"

"Doctor?" Gene wondered, padding into the Doctor's room. She wore a huge, baggy t-shirt and black shorts. Her hair fell to the small of her back in gentle waves. She moved quickly to the Doctor's side and tapped his shoulder.

"No, no, no, no!"

"Doctor!" Gene shouted, shaking the Doctor awake. He sat up quickly and looked at Gene with wide eyes.

"Gene?"

"I could hear you yelling down the hall. Bad nightmare then?"

"It was all of them…everyone I've lost… They never leave my head." The Doctor whispered, holding back his tears. Gene frowned and wrapped her arms around him, sitting on the edge of his bed. He leaned against her, accepting her comfort.

"All of them?"

"Every single one."

"Even the ones you didn't fail?"

"No…"

"Think about the ones you didn't fail, Doctor. There's so many more that you haven't failed."

"But—"

"I'm still here." Gene stated in a sure voice. "You have _never_ let me down." Gene promised. It took everything in her to say those words without flinching. She knew how this would end, that she'd die, but she couldn't let him know it. "I'm not going anywhere, not until you grow tired of me."

"Tired of you?" The Doctor asked with a faint chuckle. "Never."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor froze when he smelt something sweet in the air. He opened his eyes and saw Gene sleeping exactly ten inches from his face. He felt a warm hand in his and he stroked the back of Gene's hand gently. He knew that she'd still been awake when he'd fallen asleep. She'd stayed there all night, making sure he didn't have nightmares. He didn't have a single one after she'd arrived.

The Doctor smiled warmly at her and slowly got up so as not to wake her. Suddenly Gene stirred and took a deep breath, stretching. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Liar."

"I'm feeling a bit better."

"Good." Gene smiled at him warmly, her hair a mess as she sat up. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as the Doctor took a few steps forward. He gently kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you."

"That's what friends are for."

* * *

**Next time: Gene stops breathing. Whoo! lol**


	8. Chapter 8

**To the reviewer(s):**

**Yugioh13: Hello again! I'm not so sad about what happened to Rose, she wasn't so nice to Gene and Rose really isn't my favorite companion to be honest, but I'm glad you had an emotional time. That's what I strive for. I was hoping to make the Doctor and Gene's relationship as sweet as possible. I'm glad you liked it. :) **

**Mackenziejen: I thought it would be a bit of taboo to know when you die. Thank you again for reviewing. It makes me smile.**

**I don't own Doctor Who... **

**Thank you Shirleylocked for telling me to write and thank you to my long-distance friend for giving me a few plot twists...well a lot of the plot twists. Thank you to the fifteen followers, the ten favorites, and the thirteen reviews. **

**And yes, Gene stops breathing.**

* * *

Smith and Jones

"I'm your sister?" Gene asked, holding the Doctor's hand, playing her role perfectly.

"Of course you are. My concerned, sweet baby sister." The Doctor teased. "In my defense you nine-hundred years younger than me."

"We look nothing alike! Anyone with any knowledge of chromosomes and genes would know that there's no possible way we can be related."

"Well, good thing no one here is as smart as you." The Doctor smiled up at her warmly. He frowned suddenly as a nurse went by and Gene ran her fingers through his hair with a false frown. "Well, I'm smarter, but—" Gene punched him in the arm. "Ow…that wasn't nice."

"Well then don't be rude to your sister." Gene teased.

"I think I might have deserved that."

"You did." Gene promised as a group of people came nearer.

"Now then, Mister Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?"

"Oh, not so bad. Still a bit, you know, blah. Glad my sister's here though. She can always make things better." Gene tried not to laugh.

"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains. Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me." The woman named Jones began to do an evaluation of the Doctor.

"That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?" She asked curiously.

"Sorry?" The Doctor wondered.

"On Chancellor Street this morning? You came up to me and took your tie off. I would think that at least your sister would be able to keep you in bed so you didn't hurt yourself."

"Really? What did I do that for?" The Doctor inquired, looking at Gene curiously. Gene shrugged back.

"I don't know, you just did."

"Not me. I was here, in bed. Ask the nurses, ask Gene, haven't moved an inch."

"Well, that's weird, cause it looked like you. Have you got a brother?" Jones wondered. Jones looked at the pretty girl next to the Doctor and knew something wasn't right. The pair of them didn't look at all alike. The girl was pretty though, wearing a blue dress with black leggings and red converse. And there was no way in the world the girl was British, her teeth were too straight and her accent was far too forced.

"No, not any more. Just us."

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones."

"Sorry. Right." Jones said listening to the Doctor's heartbeats. She looks at the Doctor strangely and he winked at her before squeezing Gene's hand. Both of them in on the little joke.

"I weep for future generations. Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Er, I don't know. Stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart." The man suddenly jumped as he was electrocuted.

"That happened to me this morning." Jones said with wide eyes.

"I had the same thing on the door handle."

"And me, on the lift."

"That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by. Anyone?"

"Benjamin Franklin." Gene and the Doctor answered easily.

"Correct."

"My mate, Ben. That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked…"

"I told you so. I did warn you about that rope." Gene rolled her eyes.

"Quite." The man said sarcastically.

"And then I got electrocuted. I really should have listened to you, that wasn't so much fun. You had to restart righty."

"Thank God I got all of the brains in the family." Gene smiled at him.

"Indeed." The Doctor frowned at her, he knew that was an intentional slam.

"Moving on. I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric. And next we have—" the group moved away. Jones and the Doctor smiled at each other and Gene winked at her.

"Have a nice day."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"All right now, everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out. Don't worry." Gene stood up and closed the curtain around the Doctor's bed, standing on the outside of it, watching as Miss Jones and a colleague walked to the window.

"It's real. It's really real. Hold on." Miss Jones stated reaching to open the window.

"Don't! We'll lose all the air." The other protested.

"But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?" The Doctor stepped out from behind the curtain, dressed completely.

"Very good point." Gene smiled at the girl, standing next to the Doctor.

"Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

"Martha."

"And it was Jones, wasn't it? Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?" The Doctor wondered.

"We can't be."

"Obviously we are, so don't waste my time." The Doctor commented.

"Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or—" Gene started.

"By the patients' lounge, yeah."

"Fancy going out?" The Doctor asked, looking at both Gene and Martha.

"Okay."

"We might die." Gene smiled.

"We might not." Martha retorted.

"I like her." Gene whispered to the Doctor, he nodded slightly in reply.

"Good. Come on. Not her, she'd hold us up."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"We've got air. How does that work?" Martha wondered.

"Just be glad it does." The Doctor stated.

"I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty first. My mother's going to be really, really—"

"You okay?" The Doctor wondered.

"Yeah."

"Want to go back in?" Gene wondered, her voice sounding distant. The Doctor glanced at her, he knew that tone, she was calculating something.

"No way. I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same, it's beautiful."

"Do you think?" The Doctor inquired.

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are."

"Standing in the Earthlight." Gene sighed, still calculating.

"What do you think happened?"

"What do you think?"

"Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home." Martha said sadly.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor commented.

"Yeah."

"I was there, in the battle." Gene frowned at that. She was upset that she hadn't been there for him.

"I promise you, Mister Smith, we will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"It's not Smith. That's not my real name."

"Speaking of that, he's not my brother." Gene said, dropping the fake accent. "No way in hell."

"Who are you, then?"

"I'm Gene Cooper."

"I'm the Doctor."

"Me too, if I can pass my exams. What is it then, Doctor Smith?"

"Just the Doctor."

"How do you mean, just the Doctor?"

"Exactly as he said: just the Doctor."

"What, people call you the Doctor?"

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded.

"Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."

"Oh he will." Gene smiled.

"Well, I'd better make a start, then. Let's have a look." Gene beat him to it, shooting a rubber band off of the balcony. It bounced off of an invisible wall.

"Forcefield keeping the air in." Gene commented.

"But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?"

"How many people in this hospital?" Gene wondered.

"I don't know. A thousand?"

"One thousand people Suffocating." The Doctor stated. "How much time do we have?" He turned to Gene.

"What?"

"Don't look like that. I saw you calculating."

"I'd rather keep the number to myself." Gene frowned. "Let's just say when people start panicking, the number's going to drop drastically. The people here are going to bring their deaths closer. One thousand people suffocating ten times faster than they should." Gen said, looking seriously at the Doctor.

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked, appalled.

"Head's up! Ask them yourself." Three spaceships landed near to the hospital and huge lines of creatures in black marched out of them.

"Aliens. That's aliens. Real, proper aliens."

"Judoon."

"This is going to be fun." Gene said sarcastically.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop. I like a little shop."

"Seriously, he does. He stops at every single one we find." Gene sighed and shook her head.

"Never mind that. What are Judoon?"

"They're like police. Well, police for hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs." Gene answered.

"And they brought us to the moon?"

"Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop."

"Very clever, by the way." Gene nodded.

"What are you on about, galactic law? Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No, but I like that. Good thinking. No, I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non human, which is very bad news for me." The Doctor said with a worried look on his face.

"Why?" The Doctor looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're kidding me. Don't be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that."

"Now's not the time, children. Come on then." Gene insisted, grabbing both of their hands and leading them away from the balcony.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" Gene looked at the Doctor and pointed to a sign for an MRI.

"Ah. She's as clever as me. Almost." The Doctor stated. Gene frowned at him. "No-where near as sharp as you though." He smiled at her. There was a loud crash and screams.

"Find the non-human. Execute." A Judoon ordered.

"Gene, with me. Martha, stay here. I need time. You've got to hold them up."

"How do I do that?" Martha asked, panicked.

"Just forgive me for this. It could save a thousand lives. It means nothing." His eyes moved to Gene and away faster than she could notice. "Honestly, nothing." He leaned in and kissed Martha before grabbing Gene's hand and running.

"That was nothing?" Martha asked, stunned.

"Always you and I running?" Gene smiled at him, but on the inside her heart was burning. Why did it upset her that he kissed Martha? That was the part of feelings she didn't like, some of them hurt.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled back at her. The pair of them entered the MRI room. The room was full of bright light. The plasmavore who called herself Florence stood at the controls of the MRI. "Have you seen them? There are these things. These great big space rhino things. I mean, rhinos from space. And we're on the moon! Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look. I mean, all fixed now. Perfectly good treatment. The nurses were lovely. I said to my sister here, I said I'd recommend this place to anyone, but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?" The Doctor babbled.

"I mean, it's crazy isn't it? We're on the moon!" Gene said in a shocked voice.

"Hold them." She ordered and two Slabs grabbed them from behind, holding them tightly. Gene glanced at the Doctor, giving him the look that meant: _Nice going, so do you have a plan or do I have to start thinking? _He winked at her and she hid a smile.

"Er, that, that big er machine thing. Is it supposed to be making that noise?" Gene asked innocently.

"You wouldn't understand."

"But isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing? Like a ginormous sort of a magnet?" Gene wondered.

"I did magnetics GCSE. Well, I failed, but all the same." The Doctor added.

"The magnetic setting now increased to fifty thousand Tesla."

"Ooo, that's a bit strong, isn't it?" The Doctor asked.

"It'll send out a magnetic pulse that'll fry the brain stems of every living thing within two hundred and fifty thousand miles. Except for me, safe in this room."

"But eh, hold on, hold on, I did geography GCSE. _I_ actually passed that one. Doesn't that distance include the Earth?" Gene inquired.

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift."

"I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman. Hence the bunions. Why would you do that?"

"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape."

"No, that's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien." Gene said with wide eyes.

"Quite so."

"No!" The Doctor protested.

"Oh, yes."

"You're mocking me aren't you?" Gene wondered.

"I am not."

"I'm talking to an alien? In hospital? What, has the place got an ET department?" Gene asked with a small smirk. She knew the Doctor's plan now. It was brilliant.

"It's the perfect hiding place. Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?" The Doctor wondered.

"Yes. But I'm hidden."

"Right. Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans." Gene said nonchalantly.

"They're doing what?" Florence snapped.

"Big chief rhino boy, he said, no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans up to setting two?" Gene said, sounding slightly unsure.

"Then I must assimilate again."

"What does that mean?" The Doctor inquired.

"I must appear to be human."

"Well, you're welcome to come home and meet the family. They'd be honored. We can have cake."

"Ooh chocolate cake please." Gene smiled at the Doctor.

"Why should I have cake? I've got my little straw."

"Oh, that's nice. Milkshake? I like banana."

"Oh but chocolate is soo much better." Gene sighed happily.

"You're quite the funny couple, and obviously not siblings. You're so sweet together."

"We're not a couple." They both said at the same time, matter-of-factly.

"So young…so sweet." Florence said turning to look at Gene. The Doctor's eyes widened, that wasn't how it was supposed to work. "Hold her still!" Gene was forced to her knees by the Slab.

"NO!" The Doctor shouted in protest.

"Hold him still. Not a couple." Florence chuckled. "Indeed."

"What are you doing?" Gene asked as the Slab forced her head to the side, forced her to look at the Doctor. She could tell he was panicking, so she tried to keep her face calm, neutral.

"You don't want her blood!"

"Why not?" Florence asked the Doctor.

"She's sick. She has a blood-borne disease." The Doctor lied quickly.

"Really?" Florence asked with wide eyes.

"I'd taste better."

"Doctor…" Gene whispered, shaking her head. "Use your head. If she drinks from me…" She was hoping she could convince the plasmavore that she really was sick, and that she might make the plasmavore sick if she drew her blood.

"Thank you for the offer. I wouldn't want to be sick." She nodded to the Slab that held him and the Doctor was forced to his knees. "I'm afraid this is going to hurt. But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember." She stuck her straw into his vein and took a huge gulp. Gene whimpered when she saw the color leave the Doctor's cheeks. She knew he'd find a way to survive, but she had no idea what the outcome would be. It scared her and she really didn't like seeing him hurting. The Judoon entered the room and the Slab dropped the Doctor to the ground as Florence put her straw away. "Now see what you've done. This poor man just died of fright."

"Scan him. Confirmation. Deceased." The Judoon insisted. A tear ran down Gene's cheek.

"No, he can't be. Let me through. Let me see him." Martha insisted.

"Stop. Case closed."

"But it was her. She killed him. She did it. She murdered him." Martha insisted as Gene was let go.

"Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not human."

"Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued." She showed the back of her hand.

"Oh, but you're not." Gene said with a sad smile on her face. She knelt down next to the Doctor and gently touched his face before she stood and smiled at Florence. "You drank the Doctor's blood. That was a big mistake." Gene smiled and grabbed the Judoon's scanner.

"Oh, I don't mind. Scan all you like." She said, sure of herself.

"Non-human."

"But, what?!"

"Confirm analysis."

"Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come." Florence protested.

"Yeah, as human as you can get sucking an alien's blood." Gene scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If you would have risked a little, fake, illness you would have had some nice _human_ blood, but instead…you fell for the trick."

"He gave his life so they'd find you." Martha agreed. Another tear ran down Gene's cheek. The air was getting thin, too thin. She knew they didn't have much time left.

"Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"Well, she deserved it! Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

"Then you confess?"

"Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab, stop them!" The Judoon shot the Slabs destroying them.

"Verdict, guilty. Sentence, execution." Florence ran and plugged in the MRI scanner and the whole room trembled.

"Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!" Florence shouted before she was incinerated.

"Case closed."

"But what did she mean, burn with me? The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something."

"She's going to kill all of us." Gene stated.

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse."

"Well, do something! Stop it!" Martha shouted.

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate."

"What? You can't just leave it. What's it going to do?"

"All units withdraw."

"You can't go! That thing's going to explode and it's your fault!" The Judoon left.

"Martha, he's still here, he's not completely gone. He needs air." Gene told her. She knew he would have regenerated otherwise. Gene stumbled to the Doctor while Martha started chest compressions.

"One, two, three, four, five. One, two, three, four, five."

"He's got two hearts!" Gene warned her, feeling extremely lightheaded. She calculated how much air was left in the room and sat down. She closed her eyes and stopped breathing, hoping it was enough to give Martha a little extra time. Gene's body slowly relaxed as she passed out from lack of oxygen.

"One, two, three, four, five. One, two, three, four, five." Martha gave a deep breath to the Doctor. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"The scanner. She did something." The Doctor crawled to the scanner and then realized he didn't have his sonic.

"Sod it." He unplugged the cords and turned and picked up Gene, cradling her in his arms. "Come on, Martha, stay strong for me." He said. She nodded, feeling very lightheaded as the oxygen level's hit zero. They made it down the corridor and they looked out the window. Martha was gasping. She slowly slid down the wall and put her head in-between her knees. "Come on, come on, come on, come on, please. Come on, Judoon, reverse it." It started to rain. "It's raining, Gene. It's raining on the moon and you're missing it." The Doctor sighed as a crash of thunder sent the hospital to where it belonged.

Martha gasped and kept breathing heavily, loving the feel of air in her burning lungs.

"Gene?" The Doctor asked, shaking her slightly. "Come on… Come on." He insisted. He set her down on the ground and put his fingers to her pulse point. Very slow, very weak. Her mind had forgotten how to breathe. It refused to tell her to breathe. He leaned down quickly and breathed air into her lungs for her, hoping that it would remind her body to keep breathing. He didn't want to do CPR if he didn't have to, he was afraid he'd break one of her ribs.

Thankfully she sighed and took a deep breath, opening her eyes to look at him and smile. "Are you always going to hover over me when I'm in trouble?"

"I don't know, how often are you going to get into trouble?"

"I don't know, how often are you going to be stupid?"

"Unfair question." The Doctor protested.

"True statement though. You're an idiot."

"Says the girl who stopped breathing."

"You needed air, I was going to pass out anyway." Gene shrugged.

"Yeah, sure you were."

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"I went to the moon today." Martha said to the Doctor and Gene.

"A bit more peaceful than down here. More air as well, I like air, air is good." Gene smiled and took a deep breath.

"You never even told me who you are."

"The Doctor." The Doctor waved gently.

"What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that."

"I'm a Time Lord."

"Right! Not pompous at all, then."

"As modest as he gets." Gene warned her.

"And you, what are you?"

"Plain old human. And I wasn't lying. My name's really Gene Cooper. I'm from America, in case you couldn't tell from my accent."

"Oh…"

"I just thought since you saved my life and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip."

"What, into space?"

"Well…"

"Anywhere really." Gene stated.

"But I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad."

"If it helps, I can travel in time as well."

"Get out of here."

"I can."

"Come on now, that's going too far."

"I'll prove it." The Doctor stated, going into the TARDIS. It dematerialized and Gene shook her head.

"He just has to go off and do that doesn't he? Show off."

"You mean he can really time-travel?"

"Watch and learn." The TARDIS reappeared and the Doctor stepped out, holding his tie in his hand.

"Told you."

"And that's as modest as he gets."

"No, but, that was this morning. Did you? Oh, my God. You can travel in time. But hold on. If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden."

"Except for cheap tricks." Gene added.

"And that's your spaceship?"

"It's called the TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space." The Doctor and Gene said at the same time.

"Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate."

"Take a look." Gene opened the doors and Martha's eyes widened. She stepped inside to see if it was a trick before stepping back out.

"No, no, no." Martha backed out of the box and Gene and the Doctor high-fived each other. "But it's just a box. But it's huge. How does it do that? It's wood. It's like a box with that room just rammed in. It's bigger on the inside." She said stepping back inside. The Doctor and Gene followed behind her, shutting the door.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed." Gene chuckled.

"Right then, let's get going."

"But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"Just us."

"All on your own?" Martha wondered.

"Well, sometimes I have guests. I mean some friends, travelling alongside. I had. There was recently, a friend of mine. Rose, her name was. Rose. And we were together. Anyway. Gene and I have been traveling for a while."

"Well, he's been traveling with me for a while, I'm pretty new at this. We keep meeting in a really random order. No rhyme or reason." Gene shrugged.

"Where is she now?"

"Who?"

"Rose?" Martha wondered.

"With her family. Happy. She's fine. She's. Not that you're replacing her."

"Never said I was."

"Just one trip to say thanks. You get one trip, then back home." The Doctor insisted.

"You're the one that kissed me." Martha stated, Gene looked down. Martha smiled, she knew that there were feelings between the two of them, and now she'd found them.

"That was a genetic transfer." The Doctor defended himself.

"And then travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date."

"Stop it."

"For the record? I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans."

"Good. Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And Gene, the hand brake." Gene instantly did as he said. He was slowly teaching her how to fly the TARDIS, though some of it she could pick up on, based on her genius. "Ready?"

"No."

"Off we go."

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy." Martha stated as they all reached to hang on for dear life as the TARDIS jolted alive.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones."

"It's my pleasure, Mister Smith."

"He's called the Doctor…oh never mind. You'll learn soon enough." Gene sighed.

* * *

**Next time: Gene's 18.**


	9. Chapter 9

**To the reviewer(s):**

**Mackenziejen: Here you go.**

**UmbraAnguis: Thank you. :D**

**I don't own Doctor Who... **

**Thank you Shirleylocked for telling me to write and thank you to my long-distance friend for giving me a few plot twists...well a lot of the plot twists. Thank you to the fifteen followers, the ten favorites, and the thirteen reviews. **

**And yes, that's a Harry Potter thing. **

* * *

Mischief Managed

Gene sat in the library looking down at the new addition to her apparel. After the day on the moon the Doctor had given her a TARDIS key, which she kept around her neck with a locket Marie had gotten her for Christmas one year.

"Gene?" The Doctor called, opening the door. She looked up at him and smiled at him.

"What is it?"

"Do you have a moment?"

"Sure." Gene said, putting her book down and following the Doctor out to the console room quickly. "You seem excited, you're skipping nearly. What is it?"

"I had a good idea."

"Uh-oh."

"Don't uh-oh me, it's a _really_ good idea!" The Doctor said as he walked up to the console.

"And it is?" Gene wondered.

"Put your hand there." He stated, pointing to a small pad on the console.

"Am I going to be electrocuted? Are you trying to kill me? What did I do this time?" Gene asked.

"No, no, no. I was just thinking about New New York." He said as Gene put her hand down. She felt something hot under her skin and then a sharp poke before she pulled away quickly.

"Ouch, I didn't do anything that bad. What was that for?"

"Well, I noticed that you have a certain fascination with my sonic screwdriver and while I would love to let you borrow it any time you want—"

"Yeah, sorry. I sort of stole it from you. That was rude. My bad." Gene bit her lip.

"I really have this terrible feeling that if I give you my sonic you'll tear it apart to see how it works and since the TARDIS gets cross with me when I break things I thought it would be best if I just gave you one for yourself." He continued as though she hadn't spoken. Gene's mouth fell open.

"What?" Gene wondered.

"Well I know you'd just steal mine anyway, might as well."

"You're kidding."

"No I'm not. Besides, you're smart enough to use one and I trust you not to do anything stupid. So, I thought, what the heck?"

"Really? Are you being serious?"

"As heart attacks." The Doctor promised. Gene ran forward and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you."

"What, did you think I'd forget?" The Doctor wondered.

"Forget what?"

"Gene, it's your birthday. You're eighteen today."

"Oh…god it is isn't it? I've been with you for nearly three quarters of a year. That's brilliant."

"Isn't it though?" The Doctor smiled, turning to the console and pulling a new object from it. "That was quick, takes me twice as much time, she must really like you." The Doctor commented before he handed her the sonic screwdriver.

It was nearly identical to the Doctor's except for its size and color. The grip of it was bronze and the very tip was silver. It fit perfectly in Gene's hand, making her smile widely. She slowly turned it on and the tip glowed blue, a warmer darker blue than the Doctor's, but still blue.

"Thank you." Gene said, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"You're welcome." He promised, enjoying her warmth, then suddenly it was gone.

"Thank you girl." Gene smiled, resting her hand on the console. The TARDIS grew warm for a moment before it lowered its temperature again.

"You just thanked the TARDIS."

"Yes, and?"

"You're going to make her hate me. Suck up."

"I am just grateful."

"Yeah, you keep being sweet to her and she'll want to keep you forever." The Doctor chuckled.

"Good thing I'm not leaving then." Gene smiled at him.

"Never?"

"Never." Gene promised.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"You two are really sweet on each other." Martha commented to Gene.

"Hmm?"

"You're cute together." Martha insisted.

"We're not a couple."

"He let you borrow his sonic."

"I needed it."

"He gave you his favorite coat."

"It was cold." Gene defended.

"You have a key to the TARDIS."

"All companions do."

"You know a lot about him."

"We're friends. We do talk."

"You hold hands."

"Only so that I can keep up with him when he runs."

"He kisses you goodnight." Martha said with a smirk. Gene froze, she didn't know what to say to that. "And you blush."

"And?"

"And you like him, a lot."

"Even if I did like him he—"

"He likes you too you know." Martha commented.

"I don't think so."

"Trust me. He might even be in love with you."

"He doesn't love me."

"You don't see him when your back's turned. You don't see him when you're in trouble. You don't see how he panics." Martha commented. "And he doesn't see the way you look at him when he's doing something stupid, or when he's getting all of us into trouble. I do though. I see it. And you love each other."

"So? What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say? I am just now understanding emotions and how they work, how am I supposed to explain them to someone else?"

"Just tell him. Everyone deserves to know that they are loved." Martha patted her back gently and left her room. Gene slowly lay down in her bed. Perhaps Martha was right, perhaps the Doctor did care for her as well. The Face of Boe had seemed to think that they were together.

_"You, you lovely girl. I can still remember the first time I met you. So brave, always so brave. Always doing everything the backwards way, but doing everything right. I'm so glad I lived long enough to see you one more time. You'd better take care of her too, Doctor." The Face of Boe turned his eyes on the Doctor, practically glaring. "You need each other, and if you lose her you will never be the same. Don't let go of her, Doctor, and know that you are not alone."_

Gene sighed, playing with the TARDIS key for a moment before she decided to play one song on her violin before sleeping. She'd think about telling the Doctor what she felt… She'd sleep on it.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"You can tell her you know." Martha said, leaning against the console.

"Tell who what?" The Doctor wondered.

"Gene that you love her." Martha answered. The Doctor froze instantly.

"What gave you that impression?"

"Everything. Have you seen yourself when she's around? I was sure you were going to have a heart attack when the Daleks took her."

"They would have killed her."

"Would you have been that panicked if it were me? Don't lie."

"No…" The Doctor said, looking down. "I suppose you're right. I know she loves me too, well I know she will love me…at some point."

"I don't understand."

"In the future she ends up in my past. When I asked her how close we were and she didn't answer I made an educated guess and she kissed me back."

"Wait, so you didn't know what your relationship was so you decided to snog her?"

"The way she looked at me made it obvious. I just had to make sure…then she kissed me back." The Doctor smiled.

"So you've known this whole time that you two would end up together, and you haven't said a word? Haven't pressured her a bit?"

"What would love be worth if you had to pressure people into it?" The Doctor asked. "No, I'll wait for her. When she's ready, if she ever is, I'll be here."

"That's sweet of you."

"She brings that out of me. Normally I'm just rude." Martha smiled and got up, walking out of the console room. She paused at the door and turned to look at him.

"If it makes you feel any better…you don't have to wait too long. I can see the way she looks at you."

"Don't say anything?"

"Not a word."

* * *

**Next time: ...nope spoilers.**


	10. Chapter 10

**To the reviewer(s):**

**The Yoshinator: Of course they are! They're too cure to be otherwise. Thank you for reviewing, late or not, it makes me smile.**

**Mackenziejen: Sorry, I couldn't spoil this one.**

**Skidney: Thank you. :D **

**I don't own Doctor Who... **

**Thank you Shirleylocked for telling me to write and thank you to my long-distance friend for giving me a few plot twists...well a lot of the plot twists. Thank you to the fifteen followers, the ten favorites, and the thirteen reviews.**

* * *

The Lazarus Experiment

Martha slowly stepped out of the TARDIS and the Doctor smiled at her, but it only lasted for a second. Gene stepped out of the TARDIS a second later, her hair was free of its usual pony tail and curled in sweet little waves. She wore a strapless blue dress that was the same shade as the TARDIS and fell to her knees. Around her waist was a sheer, sparkly black bow that showed how slender she was. Her face was actually done up with make-up, giving her a faint blush and bringing out her blue eyes.

"You look…beautiful." The Doctor complimented.

"Thank you." Gene smiled and blushed. "Kept the shoes, Martha." Gene stated.

"Converse in a dress. Lord save her fashion sense." Martha rolled her eyes but smirked when the Doctor offered Gene his arm.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever." He smiled and stepped into the machine behind him, closing the door behind him. The pillars began to spin and a bright light filled the room. Gene looked away, but listened to the loud noise closely.

"Something's wrong." The Doctor stated.

"It's overloading!" Gene agreed, both of them took off for the controls, both of them armed with sonic screwdrivers.

"Somebody stop them!" Lady Thaw shouted. "Get them away from those controls!"

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it! Is that what you really want?" Gene snapped.

"Get it open!" the Doctor shouted as Martha pulled the door open. Lazarus stepped out, looking very young indeed. It had worked. The Doctor and Gene shared a look as Lazarus examined himself, a look that clearly said: That's not good.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old and I am reborn!" he shouted triumphantly.

"That's not good." Gene and the Doctor said in sync.

"That isn't the same guy, it can't be." Martha said in awe.

"Let's talk to him shall we?" The Doctor suggested. They walked up to Lazarus who was currently scarfing down a plate of food. "Energy deficit, always happens with this process."

"You speak as if you see this every day, Mr…" Lazarus said to him.

"Doctor, and, well I don't see this every day but I do have experience with this type of transformation." The Doctor stated simply.

"That's not possible."

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create resonance, that's inspired." Gene commented.

"You understand the theory then." Lazarus looked at Gene and then froze. "Oh my God, this is amazing."

"What is?" Gene wondered.

"You, my dear." He smiled and took her hand, kissing the back of it. "Gene Louise Cooper, in the flesh. You look absolutely beautiful, my dear." Gene smiled a fake smile and pulled her hand away from his, the Doctor took her arm and glared at Lazarus a look that said to things: She's _mine_. _Don't_ touch her. "The most genius girl in the world, lovely to meet you. So you can understand what I've done then?"

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all of the variables." Gene stated, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"No experiment is without risk." Lazarus shrugged.

"That thing nearly exploded." The Doctor glared at the madman. "You could have killed everyone here."

"You're not qualified to comment!" Lady Thaw protested.

"Actually, I am." Gene stated, glaring at her. "Gene Cooper, mother of time travel."

"As if, that's impossible."

"It's not impossible." The three time travelers said in sync, sharing a small smile.

"She _is _the mother of time travel, has it all figured out." Lazarus took a step forward into Gene's personal space. "I would love to pick at your brain."

"You shouldn't have messed with our equipment."

"If _we_ hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded," the Doctor retorted. He flashed the look at Lazarus, the final warning, a look that could make who armies turn and run, a look that told him to step away from Gene _now_. Lazarus smirked, but took a step back, out of Gene's personal space.

"Then I thank you, Doctor, Miss Cooper, Miss," he nodded to all of them. "But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests." Gene stated, Lazarus laughed.

"Look at me! You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need. I didn't think the girl who could put numbers to the impossible would be such a skeptic."

"I don't like when numbers end in an anomaly. It makes my head ache." Gene said. Her hand was going numb in the Doctor's tight grip, she gently squeezed his hand and he instantly loosened his grip.

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially." Lady Thaw said.

"Commercially? You're joking. That'll cause chaos." Martha protested.

"Not chaos, change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving." The Doctor stated.

"You can't ever improve if you never change." Gene added.

"It's about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor." Lazarus corrected, "A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely."

"And how could you expect humans to 'evolve,' as you say, if they just keep resetting themselves to how they were? That's only going to lead to de-evolution."

"Richard, we have things to discuss." Lady Thaw insisted. "Upstairs."

"Goodbye, Miss, Doctor. Pleasure to meet you, Gene Cooper, your name is legendary in the world of science and math. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were. I'll have out-smarted the world's smartest woman." He took Gene's other hand, raised an eyebrow in challenge to the Doctor, and kissed the back of it before he sauntered away.

"He is out of his mind. He has no idea of the damage he might have done." Gene said angrily.

"So what do we do now?" Martha wondered.

"Now, well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests. He's not the only genius in the room."

"Good thing, I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?" Gene wondered, holding out her hand.

"Oh, Gene Cooper, you're brilliant," the Doctor grinned, kissing her forehead before running off with them.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Amazing…and sort of scary." Gene said, looking at the test results.

"What?" Martha glanced at her.

"The DNA," the Doctor answered.

"I can't see anything different," Martha frowned.

"Look at it. Watch it change." Gene smiled.

"Oh, my God! Did that just change? But it can't have!"

"Did it anyway it seems." Gene commented.

"It's impossible!"

"And that's two impossible things we've seen tonight." The Doctor nudged Gene with his elbow playfully. "Don't you love it when that happens?"

"It's brilliant."

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns." Martha gasped.

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands." the Doctor explained.

"He missed something, something big." The Doctor said sadly.

"He's human. A human with too much in his head. A human who thinks he can change the world just because he's different. There's a reason why I left out all of the equations for time travel. There's a reason why I don't tell people half of the things that go through my head. It's dangerous, plain and simple. A human with that much knowledge and that much stupidity can only lead down a dangerous path." Gene shook her head. "He's activated something in his DNA that won't stabilize…it's going to change him."

"Change him into what?" Martha worried.

"I dunno, but I think we need to find out." the Doctor replied.

"That woman said they were going upstairs."

"Let's go!"

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Where are they?" Martha asked.

"Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature." Gene said, pulling her sonic. She smiled at the Doctor. "I've got this one." He smiled back at her warmly as she used her sonic to scan for Lazarus. "I might be able to pick it up… Got him." Gene beamed and ran forward, giving the Doctor a hug, who nearly fell over having not seen it coming. "Thank you, it's brilliant." The Doctor made a mental note to give Gene gifts full of advanced technology in the future, the resulting smile and childish twinkle in her eyes was brilliant.

"Where?" Martha wondered. Gene and the Doctor pointed up."But this is the top floor!"

"The roof!" The Doctor stated.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act…"

"Falls the shadow." The Doctor finished.

"So the mysterious Doctor knows Eliot. I'm impressed." Lazarus said. "And there she is, the brightest star tonight, Miss Gene Cooper."

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish demanded.

"Tish, get away from him."

"What? Don't tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all," the Doctor commented.

"You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"

"It doesn't work like that." The Doctor told him. "Some people can live more in 20 years than others do in 80." Gene looked down. She was going to be twenty when she died, would she live more in twenty years than others did in eighty? Would she be someone to be remembered? Cherished? She hoped that she didn't hurt anyone too badly when she left, but then again there were few people who cared for her. "It's not the_ time_ that mattes, it's the _person_."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be." Lazarus remarked.

"Or what a curse," the Doctor argued. "Look at what you've _done _to yourself.

"Who are you to judge me?" he glared at him.

"Over here, Tish!"

"You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."

"Tish, he's a monster!"

"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones," Tish shrugged, but then there were growls that stopped her in her tracks.

"RUN!" the Doctor shouted.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Tish, is there another way out of here?"

"There's an exit in the corner," she replied. "But it'll be locked now."

"Gene!"

"I'm on it!" Gene promised working on opening the door with her sonic screwdriver.

"Listen to me!" the Doctor shouted to the people. "You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

"Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

"I hate stupidity." Gene muttered as Lazarus burst into the room and crouched over the woman who had scoffed at danger.

"No! Get away from her!"

"Lazarus! Stop! Lazarus! I said, leave them alone." Gene snapped. Lazarus turned to face her as the Doctor ran to her side and Martha ran to her family. "What's the point? You can't control it. The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"

"Are you sure you wanted to say that?" The Doctor muttered to her.

"Yeah, it felt good, nice even."

"We should run."

"Yeah you're right." Gene nodded and they took off down the corridor.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"It's no good, Doctor. You and that little girl can't stop me."  
"Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?" Gene taunted. The Doctor looked at her and smiled.

"The arrogance is yours. You stand on your high horse with knowledge that should be public and you keep it for your own. You can't stand in the way of progress."

"You call feeding on innocent people progress? You're delusional!" The Doctor shouted. They moved around a corner and the Doctor paused, standing in front of Gene, holding her hand in his.

"It is a necessary sacrifice."

"That's not your decision to make." The Doctor disagreed.

"Peek-a-boo…" Lazarus called from above.

"Oh, hello." The Doctor stated. "Run!" He yelled to Gene. She started to sprint away, pulling him with her. They ducked into a lab and Gene and the Doctor both ran for the gas line. When their hands met they paused and smiled at each other.

"You read my mind."

"I didn't have to." The Doctor smiled, turning the gas on before they both ducked behind a lab table.

"More hide and seek Doctor? How very disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?" Gene and the Doctor stood up, starting more gas as they did.

"Have you _seen _a mirror? Why would we want to face you?" Gene chuckled. The Doctor laughed and set the gas alight with his sonic as the two of them ran out of the room.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"We've gone around in a circle!" Gene said as they entered the reception area, breathing heavily.

"We can't lead him outside. Come on, get in!" The Doctor opened the machine and the two of them slid in.

"This is new." Gene commented, out of breath.

"What's that?"

"Hiding instead of running. Not a good hiding spot by the way, but the best hiding spot."

"But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."

"Now how do we get out without dying? That's the next problem." Gene muttered, catching her breath.

"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem…"

"Sooo, you don't have a plan?"

"I do. My plan was to hide in here."

"And then?"

"I'm working on it." The Doctor promised, smiling at her.

"While you work on it… Forgive me for moving." Gene chuckled and slowly lowered herself to her knees, pulling her sonic screwdriver from underneath the bow in her dress. She slowly pulled apart the flooring and ran her sonic over the wiring.

"So what's the plan?" The Doctor asked with a chuckle.

"Save the Doctor and his lousy plan." Gene teased, looking up at him. "He's switched the machine on." Gene commented calmly. That was one good thing about being able to focus on numbers. Gene could remain calm in a situation while everyone else panicked. Her mind would be clear while everyone else was incapacitated by fear.

"Is that part of the plan?"

"Of course it was, I'm not stupid." Gene slowly stood back up as a loud explosion filled their ears.

"You reversed the polarity… Genius." The Doctor said staring down at her. Their eyes locked and neither of them moved for the door. They hadn't ever really noticed how much of a height difference there was between them until that instant. There was nearly a foot between the two of them, but that didn't matter. The Doctor slowly leaned forward, just as Gene lifted up onto her toes. Their lips were an inch away from one-another's. They were breathing the same air. They could feel the heat in each other's skin.

So close, almost touching.

"Doctor! Gene! Are you alright?" Martha asked through the door. The pair of them jumped away from each other as far as they could in the tight space, both of them breathing a bit harder than they should. Gene pulled open the door and stepped out.

"We're fine." Gene commented.

"Thank God!" Martha sighed hugging Gene tightly. Gene and the Doctor simply stared at each other, trying to figure out what had happened. Was that just the adrenalin talking, or did they both really want to kiss a moment ago? The pulse that beat wildly in the Doctor's neck could have been adrenalin, but the dilated pupils told a different story. Gene smiled at him slightly, another silent remark between them: Me too. "He seems so…human again. It's kind of pitiful." Martha stated, seeing Lazarus on the ground.

"Eliot saw that, too." Gene said.

"'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper." The Doctor finished for her. The three of them began to turn towards the door. The Doctor held out his hand silently, a question, a hope, a plea. Gene took his hand without a second of hesitation and he smiled at her warmly.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"She's here. Oh, she's all right." Tish sighed happily.

"Ah, Mrs Jones. We still haven't finished our chat." Mrs. Jones slapped the Doctor across the face.

"Keep away from my daughter."

"Mum, what are you doing?"

"All of the mothers, every time." The Doctor said, rubbing his cheek with his free hand.

"If it helps you probably won't get a fuss from my mom." Gene smiled at him.

"Helps a little."

"He is dangerous. I've been told things." Mrs. Jones stated.

"What are you talking about?"

"Look around you. Nothing but death and destruction."

"This isn't his fault. He saved us, all of us! Both of them did." Martha insisted.

"And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place. I'd say technically, it's her fault." Leo commented. There was a loud bang and both Gene and the Doctor looked at each other before they both took off down the street.

"Leave him." Mrs. Jones demanded. Martha shook her head and followed Gene and the Doctor.

"Martha?" Tish called.

"Not you, too?"

"Sorry..." Tish commented, running after Martha.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Lazarus, back from the dead. Should have known, really." The Doctor sighed scanning the area with his sonic.

"Where's he gone?"

"That way. The church." Gene pointed.

"Cathedral." Tish corrected. "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenseless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it." Lazarus stated.

"That's what you were trying to do today?" The Doctor wondered.

"That's what I did today."

"What about the other people who died?" The Doctor wondered.

"They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

"Any of them might have done too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

"No, Doctor. Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being."

"Lazarus, listen to me." Gene whispered, kneeling in front of him. "I know what it's like, to be so smart you feel like your head's going to explode. I know what it's like to be the only person who sees the world in groups of numbers, equations and formulas. The world is so much more than that. I can help you. We can help you."

"I've done nothing wrong. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful."

"Look at yourself. You're mutating! You've no control over it. You call that a success?"

"I call it progress. I'm more now that I was. More than just an ordinary human."

"There's no such thing as an ordinary human." The Doctor insisted.

"He's going to change again any minute." Martha said.

"I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work." The Doctor nodded.

"Up there?"

"You're so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying."

"Is it?" Gene asked.

"I will feed soon."

"I'm not going to let that happen."

"You've not been able to stop me so far." Lazarus said, transforming.

"Leave him, Lazarus!" Martha shouted from the bottom of the stairs. "He's old and bitter. I thought you had a taste for fresher meat."

"Martha, no." The Doctor protested. Lazarus lunged for her and she took off up the stairs with Tish on her heels.

"Where are they? Martha?!" The Doctor called out. Martha leaned over and looked down at the Doctor and Gene.

"Doctor!"

"Take him to the top. The very top of the bell tower, do you hear me?!"

"Up to the top!"

"Come on, Genie." The Doctor said. Both of them ran up to the organ loft.

"Hypersonic sound waves. Inspired." Gene smiled at him as he jammed his sonic into the organ. "I get the upper octaves."

"Fair enough." They both sat on the bench and both began to play differing tunes until they both melted their songs into one, trying to play as loudly as they could.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"I didn't know you could play?" Martha said, looking at the Doctor and Gene.

"I can play everything, except for the guitar." Gene responded with a shrug.

"Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up."

"Hmm. Especially about playing loud."

"Sorry?" Gene giggled lightly, the Doctor smiled at her.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene sat, once again, at the doors of the TARDIS, her legs dangling into space. She had changed out of her dress into a blue shirt and grey shorts, her hair held out of her face by a blue bandana. She heard someone shift behind her and she knew exactly who it was. "It's funny how much clearer the sky is up here, when you don't have to look through the atmosphere and the clouds. It's gorgeous."

"It is, isn't it?" The Doctor asked before he sat down next to her. "So…er…about earlier today…"

"Yes?" Gene asked, looking at him when he didn't finish his statement.

"I was wondering, well I was hoping, well, I needed to ask you—"

"You're babbling like a lunatic." Gene commented.

"Well, I don't know how to say what I want to say."

"Just say it then." Gene chuckled. She'd never seen the Doctor this flustered before.

"WouldyouminditverymuchifIkissedyou?" The Doctor said quickly. Gene couldn't understand a word he'd said. She stared at him for a moment.

"In English please." She requested gently.

"May I kiss you?" The Doctor asked, his cheeks changing a dark shade of red.

"You had to ask? I thought…"

"Well, I didn't read your mind…" The Doctor stated, staring into her eyes, his hand running down her side, resting on her waist. "And I wasn't completely sure…that it wasn't just the moment."

"It wasn't." Gene promised.

"Really?" The Doctor asked with a huge smile.

"Really." Gene nodded, both of them growing closer. "I've never…"

"Never?"

"No…" Gene said, suddenly feeling nervous. She'd never so much as gotten a hug from anyone let alone a kiss. What if she didn't do something right? What if he never wanted to see her again? What if—?

"Quit thinking and feel." The Doctor whispered against her lips before he kissed her, gently, lovingly. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as the tension left her body and she kissed him back. Somehow, out of her control, one of her hands ended up in his hair, the other on his shoulder, holding him close, feeling his fast heart-beat beneath her fingers. _Triplet, four. _

She forgot to think.

She just felt.

And she'd never felt so loved, so adored.

They pulled apart when they both realized they hadn't breathed in an extraordinarily long time, resting their foreheads together, just breathing. The Doctor ran his fingertips down Gene's spine, coaxing goosebumps to cover her skin. They remained there, sitting on the edge of the galaxy, just feeling for once, never thinking.

* * *

**All cutesy... Hope I did that right.**

**Next time: A fight...the not-so-silent type.**


	11. Chapter 11

**To the reviewer(s):**

**Mackenziejen: I will indeed. :)**

**Skidney: Thank you much. :D**

**UmbraAnguis: QWERTYUIOP! Thank you. PS Oh my goat? LOL :D**

**Also many thanks to all of the favorites and the follows.**

**I don't own Doctor Who... **

**Thank you Shirleylocked for telling me to write and thank you to my long-distance friend for giving me a few plot twists...well a lot of the plot twists.**

**Speaking of my long-distance friend, this is where her dream ends and my ideas begin. Thank you so much my dear friend for the idea that brought this to life, you are truly gifted with the best dreams ever, I would pay money for dreams like yours. :D**

* * *

Aftermath

Martha had never seen a couple so sweet. They were always together, always so sweet. Martha caught them in the halls of the TARDIS sometimes, kissing or just holding one another. Whenever Gene would make something in the kitchen the Doctor would be right behind her, his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. Every time the Doctor kissed her, she'd blush. They were both extremely old souls, but when they were together they were young, fresh, and invincible.

They were like magnets, meant to be together. Martha was sure nothing could make them angry at one-another. Ten trips through time later, she was proven wrong.

The three of them got onto the TARDIS and everyone was silent, eerily silent. The Doctor and Gene both refused to make eye contact with one-another, refused to talk.

Martha looked back and forth between them, it had to be what happened on the spaceship. It had to be what the sun had done to both of them.

"You two need to talk." Martha stated. Neither of them looked at her. "Really guys, you should talk about these things." Gene shot a glare at the Doctor before looking back down at the ground. "Gene don't be like that."

"I didn't do anything wrong." Gene stated. "He was the idiot."

"I was the idiot?" The Doctor snapped, whirling around. "Oh no you don't. I was not an idiot. I saved your life."

"I was fine, you didn't have to do that!" Gene folded her arms over her chest.

"Yes I did! You would have died."

"What does it matter? The universe needs the Doctor more than it needs the girl from a no-name town on the coast of Maine that no one knows about. You should have saved your own ass and ran. I would have been fine."

"You're human! You couldn't have frozen that star out of yourself, your body wouldn't have been able to take it. It would have burned you alive! I had to do something!"

"Oh, yeah, because you froze it out of yourself perfectly." Gene scoffed.

"At least I had an option, you didn't! You would have died!"

"You keep saying that like I hadn't thought it through. I had an option."

"Not a good one!" The Doctor shouted at her.

"Better me than you." Gene said in a low even voice before she started to turn away. The Doctor grabbed her arm tightly and spun her around.

"Don't you ever say that again." The Doctor stated in a cold voice. Gene looked into the eyes of the Oncoming Storm and didn't flinch, didn't look away, she just glared back without fear. "You're worth more than you'll ever know, do you hear me? You're precious, irreplaceable. I've got nine other versions of me out there, but there's only one you."

"There's only _one_ you." Gene replied her voice deadly calm, almost more intimidating than his. "Only one you to save the world, to pilot the TARDIS, to save a universe…and if protecting that person is a sin, then I shall be a sinner."

"No, you won't. You won't do that again, you hear me? You won't put yourself in danger like that again."

"You won't risk your life trying to save me. Taking that sun out of me was a very stupid thing for you to do and there will be no repeats."

"This all comes back to you not getting in trouble."

"No promises. Someone's got to keep you safe." Gene and the Doctor stared at each other for several long moments. "You might want to let go, I can't feel my hand."

"Sorry…" The Doctor said, instantly letting go of her arm.

"It's alright…" Gene said slowly, the fire in her eyes slowly burning out. "You're still an idiot though." The word idiot was less of a curse and more of a teasing word.

"You're still reckless and stupid." The Doctor chuckled lightly. They looked at each other for a moment, both of them looking like a cautious cat that didn't know whether to pounce or not. Gene slowly lowered her arms, making her choice and the Doctor pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry. I was just so worried about you… I'm sorry." He promised, pulling her tightly against his chest.

"Don't let me be the reason why you die, I couldn't take it." Gene whispered into his chest shaking, silent tears streaming down her face.

"I wouldn't have died—"

"Don't lie, we both know regeneration's the same thing." Gene commented sharply, the fire back in her voice.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered again, running his hands up and down her spine.

"I am too." Gene promised, holding him tighter. "I promised I'd be there for your regenerations, don't make me the cause of one though."

"I'll try not to."

"That's the best I'm going to get isn't it?"

"Yup." The Doctor promised. "That's all I can give you."

"I suppose that will do then." Gene sighed.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked, pulling away and looking at her arm where he'd grabbed it. It was still red from where he had grabbed her, but it wasn't going to bruise. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He whispered again, kissing her arm.

"It's okay, it didn't hurt. For being the Oncoming Storm you don't really pack a punch do you?" Gene teased as the red mark went away. The Doctor frowned at her.

"I'd never hurt you."

"I know you wouldn't." Gene smiled at him.

"Thank God." Martha commented. "I was afraid you two were going to destroy the TARDIS with your minds the way you two were glowering."

"Sorry Martha…" Gene sighed.

"It's fine, everyone fights." Martha shrugged. "I'm actually glad you two fought. I was getting worried when you guys hadn't had a single big fight."

"Why?"

"Because there's no couple in the universe that doesn't fight." Martha chuckled.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Doctor?" Gene wondered, several days after their fight. They were laying on one of the big sofas that filled the library, the one sofa the TARDIS had tucked away in the far corner of the huge library where Martha would never be able to disturb them, their own quiet place.

"Yes, Genie?" The Doctor wondered, twirling her hair in-between his fingertips.

"Who's Kaya?" Gene asked quietly.

"Why do you ask?"

"You had a dream about her the other day. You were upset… You talk in your sleep. You talked about her."

"She's the only other person in all my years that I've ever cared for more than friendship, except for you." The Doctor answered after a few moments of silence.

"Was it…serious?" Gene wondered after a second. The Doctor looked at Gene and knew instantly that she wasn't jealous of the other girl he'd once loved, she was just curious.

"No…I was stupid back then… We met when we were just children. She was an orphan, like you. Her parents were put on trial when she was two and sentenced to death for a crime they hadn't committed yet."

"How is that even possible?"

"We're Time Lords, most crimes are punished before they happen, especially treason, that's what they were sentenced for."

"She was a Time Lady?"

"Yeah, very smart, not afraid to talk your ear off if she knew you. Most people thought she was quiet, but she wasn't always. She had good hearts and a sharp mind."

"Did she know that you loved her?" Gene inquired.

"I wanted to tell her for so long. She was always the opposite of me, always young and fresh while I was trying to be old and important. She was the smart one though. She stole the key that ended the war, she couldn't use it though so she gave it to me. The High Council thought she still had it and sentenced her to death. I was there the day she died. I was the one who told her to run. I told her for the first time that I loved her that day, then she said the same. Then she ran off… The High Council killed her before she could leave. I felt her cease to exist, her regeneration cycle end. They collapsed an entire building on her, all seven hundred stories. I'd sent her there. I told her she'd be safe…and she wasn't."

"I'm sorry." Gene whispered, twisting around so she could hug him tightly.

"You're not angry…or jealous."

"No, why should I be? Just because I've lived an unfeeling and loveless existence doesn't mean I want the same for you. I've lived like that, it's not fun nor good. I am glad you had someone, especially someone that made you happy."

"She did… I do care about—"

"I know you care about me." Gene promised, kissing his cheek.

"You know what, she was the only Time Lord who wasn't corrupt in the end." The Doctor commented. "All of the others were bent on destroying everything in the universe, but she wanted to save it."

"All of them were corrupt?"

"Just about. They were doing everything they could in the end. Trying to save certain people. I remember there was even a plot to hide someone out in the big universe so that they'd have someone to save them should Kaya use the Moment. They were doing everything they could to save themselves by destroying everything else."

"They sound nasty."

"In the end they were."

"I just try to remember them how they were, before all of that…"

"I'm sorry I asked; you're upset."

"It's alright. Helps to talk about it actually, not something I ever thought I would say." The Doctor stated, hugging her tightly. "Ever tried playing hide-and-seek in the TARDIS?" The Doctor asked suddenly.

"No." Gene smiled at him.

"Rules, you have one minute to hide anywhere you can get to in that time and you're not allowed to leave that spot."

"You have a huge advantage, I've only been here for a little over a year."

"If it helps you, you get a kiss every time I find you."

"How many seconds do I have to hide?"

"Forty-six and counting."

"You cheater!" Gene rolled her eyes and ran as quickly as she could.

"I think I forgot to mention that the TARDIS likes to play too… I really hope she doesn't switch too many rooms around…"

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

* * *

**Next time: No...well, yeah you can have a spoiler, you've all been so nice to me. The title of the next chapter is: The Truth of Human Nature.**

**Much love to all of you. Sleep on that title won't you? :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**To the reviewer(s):**

**ShadowTeir: Thank you so much for the review. I hope this chapter is up to par.**

**Skidney: Gracious!**

**UmbraAnguis: Haha, awesome. Never heard that one before. Might have to say that one day. :D**

**Also many thanks to all of the favorites and the follows.**

**I don't own Doctor Who... **

**Thank you Shirleylocked for telling me to write and thank you to my long-distance friend for giving me a few plot twists...well a lot of the plot twists.**

**Speaking of my long-distance friend, this is where her dream ends and my ideas begin. Thank you so much my dear friend for the idea that brought this to life, you are truly gifted with the best dreams ever, I would pay money for dreams like yours. :D**

**And...here you go.**

* * *

The Truth of Human Nature

"Argh! They're following us." Gene snapped angrily.

"How can they do that? We've got a time machine." Martha inquired.

"Stolen technology. They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe. They're never going to stop, unless. I'll have to do it. Martha, you trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Ge—"

"If you have to ask, we're breaking up." Gene called to him. He smiled at her warmly, four months, four wonderful months and she still had her spirit.

"Good, because it all depends on you."

"What does?" Gene wondered. "What am I supposed to do?" The Doctor held out an ornate fob watch and Gene looked at it curiously for a minute.

"Take this watch, because my life depends on it. This watch, Gene, Martha. The watch is me." The Doctor told them.

"Right, okay, gotcha. No, hold on. Completely lost."

"I second that." Gene said, staring at the watch.

"Those creatures are hunters. They can sniff out anyone, and me being a Time Lord, well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space."

"Huh. And the good news is?"

"They can smell me, they haven't seen me. And their life span'll be running out, so we hide. Wait for them to die."

"But they can track us down. The way there following us I'd give them a few weeks after we've landed in any one spot before they're on us."

"That's why I've got to do it. I have to stop being a Time Lord. I'm going to become human." The Doctor said, lowering a headset from the ceiling of the TARDIS.

"Is that even possible?" Gene wondered quietly.

"Never thought I'd use this. All the times I've wondered."

"What does it do?" Martha asked.

"Chameleon Arch. Rewrites my biology. Literally changes every single cell in my body. I've set it to human." The Doctor put the watch in the headset and Gene turned white. "Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything. Invent a life story for me, find me a setting and integrate me. Can't do the same for you. You'll just have to improvise. I should have just enough residual awareness to let you in."

"But, hold on. If you're going to rewrite every single cell, isn't it going to hurt?" Martha asked worriedly.

"Oh, yeah. It hurts." He turned and looked at Gene. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" She said. "Are you sure you have to do this?"

"No other choice. See you in a while." The Doctor said before the screaming started.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Gene, are you coming?" Martha wondered.

"Yeah…give me a while." Gene whispered in reply.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Just go, the Doctor will need you! Go!" Gene shouted. Martha pulled back from Gene's room, knowing she was upset. The Doctor had gone through so much pain and he'd completely forgotten her, it had to have hurt her. Martha sighed and left the TARDIS, hoping to keep an eye on the Doctor.

Inside Gene's room, she sat in her bed staring blankly into her violin case. Three items she took with her everywhere resided in the case. The violin, the rose, and a small item the orphanage had found on her when she'd been left in a box on their front step. A small, circular object that she'd never really paid attention to.

A fob watch that had ornate carvings on it.

Gene felt a stab of pain in her heart.

A watch she'd never bothered to open…

A watch she forgot she had, but always kept with her.

The exact same fob watch that the Doctor had used to turn himself into a human…

Gene knew one thing, everything she was was a lie. She wasn't real, she was just a shadow.

But, who was she a shadow of?

"_They were doing everything they could in the end. Trying to save certain people. I remember there was even a plot to hide someone out in the big universe so that they'd have someone to save them…"_

Did the watch contain someone evil who was supposed to bring about the end of the universe?

Gene barely held back her tears…what if the girl in the watch was meant to destroy everything the Doctor had saved, what if she was a monster? What if she was meant to harm the Doctor?

Who was the girl in the watch?

One riddle was solved though… The reason for all of the numbers, the riddle of understanding advanced math and science. The brain of a Time Lady had been shoved into a small human head. That would be enough to drive anyone crazy.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Advanced with little impediment. The French were all but spent, with only two battalions of the old guard remaining. A final reserve force was charged with protecting Napoleon, but by evening, the advance of the Allied troops—"

"Forced them to retreat." A woman's voice called gently from the doorway. John Smith lowered her book and looked at the woman in the door. She was dressed in a long, light blue dress, her dark hair was pulled up elegantly and her bangs fell around her face in elegant curls. John's mouth went dry. She was beautiful, absolutely breath-taking.

"Indeed. Can I help you, Miss…?"

"Cooper." Gene smiled faintly at him. "May I ask you a quick question?" The students in John's class looked at her with wide eyes, some snickered when John stuttered out his agreement. The pair of them stepped out of the room and closed the door behind them.

"How may I help you?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm the new physics professor and I have no clue as to where the classroom is. This place is sort of a maze."

"Oh, you're the new physics professor?"

"For now, just for a few months while Mr. Nye is on holiday." Gene smiled.

"You must be brilliant."

"I'm pretty smart." Gene agreed, modestly. John was staring at her in awe, he was already in love with her. "So can you point me in the right direction—"

"Oh yes, sorry. This way." John said, holding out his arm to her politely. She took it and he led her towards the room, leaving snickering children behind in his classroom.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

At first there was outrage amongst the students. How dare a girl come in and attempt to teach them? It was absolutely unheard of! But then, the thoughts of the young men changed drastically. They had all taken her class and knew she was qualified just by how stupid she made the brightest of them feel when she talked, but most of them stopped paying attention when she talked, merely gawking at her obscenely instead.

"Did you see her today, Baines? Red is a good color." Hutchinson smirked at him.

"Indeed." Baines smiled widely. "I going to ask if she can tutor me, see if I can get a leg over all of this work." Baines winked.

"Don't you _dare _say that about a lady ever again or I'll have you sent off to the Headmaster." John snapped at them.

"Now now, don't be so harsh, Mr. Smith." Gene said, coming up the stairs. "I'm sure I can find time for you to be tutored." Gene smirked at the two boys who thought they had it made. "I'm sure Mr. Taylor would love for both of you to get a 'leg over'. See if he's available for you, shall I?" Her tone made it quite clear that she was not to be messed with.

"No, Miss."

"No, Miss." Both boys looked down.

"Say one more thing about me and I'll make sure you never come back to school here, are we clear?"

"Yes, miss."

"Yes, miss."

"Go tell all of you other disgusting little friends as well, I wouldn't want any trouble from them either." The two boys turned and quickly left.

"That was amazing."

"Have to be strong to be a teacher, especially when you're outnumbered by hormonal boys. Idiots, they think I can't hear across classrooms." Gene rolled her eyes. "Thank you, by the way."

"No problem, Miss Cooper."

"Gene." She corrected.

"Miss Cooper?" A younger voice called out.

"Tim, what can I do for you?" Gene asked with a genuine smile. The one boy—aside from the very gay Mr. Taylor—who hadn't tried to corner her and seduce her.

"I have a question about the homework. About freefalling."

"What do you need to know?"

"I still don't understand how it's possible that everything falls at the same rate, it doesn't make sense."

"No it doesn't, you want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because it's not true." Gene smiled at him.

"Then why teach us it if it's not true."

"Well because it is true." Gene chuckled. "Have time for an experiment?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, we're at the top of the stairs." Gene commented, looking over the railing to the floor a story below. Gene pulled a small coin out of pocket and turned to Tim. "Do you have paper with you?" He gave her a book of paper and she ripped a sheet out. "Watch." She dropped both of them over the rail. The penny smacked the ground quickly while the paper floated down slowly. "What did you see?"

"They didn't fall at the same rate."

"Yes they did."

"No, or they would have landed at the same time." Tim protested.

"I bet you that penny down there, that I can get a brick to fall at the same rate as the paper."

"Really? Prove it." Gene smiled and grabbed the brick that was holding a classroom door open down the hall, promising she'd return it.

"Piece of paper?" Gene wondered. Tim ripped out another piece and she held both items over the rail, squashing the paper into a ball before dropping them.

_Slam!_

"They landed at the same time." Time said with wide eyes.

"Go get them." Gene smiled at him. He ran down the stairs and bent down to pick up the penny. He stared at it in shock. It was an American penny with a strange date on it.

2005 D

He looked up at Gene in shock as she and John spoke quietly, laughing gently at something one of them had said. "Two-thousand-five? How is that possible? Is she American?" Tim shook his head and picked up the other articles before climbing back up the stairs.

"Have you figured it out Tim?" Gene asked with a warm smile.

"The rule doesn't always hold true?" Tim wondered.

"Oh no, it always holds true. So what's the solution?"

"Physics is stupid."

"That's one solution, yeah." Gene chuckled. "The solution is that we don't live in a perfect world. All of these scientific things and most of them only happen in a perfect world. Now let's see if you can figure it out. What's wrong with our world that the paper didn't fall with the penny?"

"Air, air resistance." Tim said with wide eyes, finally understanding.

"Very good, though I can't say I want that to change, as much as I love numbers working out I would much rather breathe." Tim chuckled at that. "Get it now?"

"Yes, ma'am." Tim smiled warmly at her. "I can't believe I missed something so silly."

"I can…because it's the obvious things that are the hardest for people to see. You are absolutely brilliant, you just have to look at some things differently."

"Thank you, ma'am. I believe you dropped this." He said, handing her the penny.

"Indeed I did." She smiled and took it into her hand easily. "Of you go."

"You're a very good teacher."

"Thank you. I try my hardest."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene wasn't surprised that she was being taken to the dance by John, he'd been looking at her like a love-sick puppy since the day she'd arrived, but she knew that something bad was going to happen. "There will be silence! All of you!" Gene turned and looked at the family of blood with her eyes narrowed.

"I said, silence!" Mr. Clarke stated, killing the man who spoke up against him.

"Mr. Smith? Everything I told you, just forget it! Don't say anything." Martha stated, hiding the sonic screwdriver.

"We asked for silence! Now then, we have a few questions for Mrs. Cooper." Baines said, turning to glare at her.

"No, better than that. The teacher, Mr. Smith. He's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

"You took human form."

"Of course I'm human. I was born human, as were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mr. Clark. What is going on? This is madness." John protested. Gene and Martha shared a glance and nodded at each other slightly.

"Ooo, and a human brain, too. Simple, thick and dull."

"But he's no good like this."

"We need a Time Lord."

"Easily done." Baines smiled, pointing his gun at John.

"Change back."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Change back!"

"He doesn't know! He can't know!" Gene insisted, grabbing ahold of John, half standing in front of him.

"Shut it!" Baines shouted at her as Jenny grabbed Martha and placed the gun to her head.

"Get off me!"

"She's your friend, isn't she? Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"I don't know what you mean!" John shouted, upset.

"Wait a minute. The maid told me about Smith and the girl…Miss Cooper. That woman, there.

"Then let's have you." Clarke grabbed Gene and put the gun to her head. Gene looked over at Martha and gave her a small smile of reassurance.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor, being human? Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or teacher? Your friend or your lover? Your choice."

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith."

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge." Baines commented.

Oh, please." Gene rolled her eyes after a moment. Tim looked down at the watch.

_Open the watch, just for a second._

"What?"

"Really, what do you think we are? Helpless girls?" Gene asked, her American accent coming out. "For being so smart you're idiots." Gene elbowed Clarke in the gut, stole his gun from him, wrapped her arm around his throat and pointed her gun at Baines, just as Martha did the same to Jenny.

"All right! One more move and my brilliant friend and I will shoot."

"Oh, these two are full of fire."

"And you can shut up!" Martha stated, firing the gun at the ceiling.

"Careful, Son of Mine. This is all for you so that you can live forever."

"Shut up, Clarke." Gene stated, tightening her grip on his throat. "I know you haven't had a human body before, so that makes me the expert on human biology. You know who I am, I can kill you with one move and I won't need the gun." Gene whispered into his ear threateningly. Clarke stiffened and didn't move an inch.

"I'll shoot you down."

"Try it. We'll die together."

"Would you really pull the trigger? Looks too scared."

"Scared and holding a gun's a good combination."

"I'm not afraid to shoot you though. Do you want to risk it?" Gene asked. The family lowered their guns and Gene slowly backed away from Clarke, standing next to John.

"Doctor, get everyone out. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on. Do it, Mr. Smith. I mean you." Martha insisted.

"Do what she said. Everybody out, now." Everyone started running but John didn't leave Gene's side.

"Gene?"

"Go with him, Gene."

"Martha—"

"Go, I can handle them." Martha stated.

"Okay." Gene nodded, grabbing John and running out of the door with him.

"Mister Hicks, warn the village. Get everyone out. Latimer, get back to the school. Tell the headmaster—"

"Don't touch me. You're as bad as them."

_Gene… _Gene heard the Doctor's voice in her head. She watched as Tim ran off, knowing that he had the watch on him. The watch had the Doctor's voice.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Tell me about Nottingham." Gene asked.

"Sorry?"

"That's where you were brought up. Tell me about it."

"Well, it lies on the River Leen, its southern boundary following the course of the River Trent which flows from Stoke to the Humber."

"I've read an encyclopedia. Where did you live?"

"Broadmoor Street. Adjacent to Hotley Terrace—"

"Stop, just stop… I lived a childhood by myself but I know more about my hometown than you do. When you were a child, where did you play? All those secret little places, the dens and hideaways that only a child knows? Tell me."

"How can you think that I'm not real? When I kissed you, was that a lie?"

"No, it wasn't. I know that."

"But this Doctor sounds like some, some romantic lost prince. Would you rather that? Am I not enough?"

"It doesn't matter what form you're in. You're always enough for me." Gene promised holding his face in her hands.

"I've got to go." He whispered, kissing her lips gently before he walked away from her.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene looked upwards when she heard the watch cry out again. "Tim…" Gene whispered, before she dashed up the stairs. She ran into the dorm and Tim jumped and looked at her with wide eyes.

"You… You're not who you say you are. I knew that there was something wrong when that penny said 2005."

"Tim, I'm sorry. Yes, I lied, but I had to."

"You're so smart. So strange…he's told me."

"He talks to you?"

"Whispers things…" Tim nodded slowly. "You're the light to his darkness, that's what he thinks. But he's so confused. He loves you, like he's never loved before, but sometimes he thinks of another when he sees you sometimes…and it makes him so angry with himself."

"Another?"

"Another Time Lord."

"Tim, we have to go, they're coming after you."

"Where do we go?"

"I haven't jumped out of a window in a while." Gene commented, opening the window and smiling at Tim.

"You like jumping from high places don't you?"

"What?"

"Well, you sort of jumped off of a cliff once."

"I did?"

"It hasn't happened yet?" Tim wondered. There was a loud shout from down the stairs. Gene quickly jumped out of the window and held out her hands for Tim as soon as she landed. "You've got to be kidding me." Tim shook his hands and jumped down, landing in her arms.

"Time to run." She said setting him down and grabbing his hand, leading him into the woods.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"I'm not an expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock." Martha said, pulling open the door. "Gene!" Martha wrapped her arms around her tightly.

"Gene!" John called and as soon as Gene had made it through the door he engulfed her in a warm hug. "I couldn't find you… I tried to find you. I was so worried."

"I love you too." Gene sighed, hugging him back.

"I brought you this." Tim said gently, holding out the watch.

"Hold it." Martha said holding the watch out to John.

"I won't." John protested. Slowly letting go of Gene.

"Please, just hold it."

"It told me to find you. It wants to be held."

"You've had this watch all this time? Why didn't you return it?" Joan asked, trying not to let her contempt for Gene to show.

"Because it was waiting. And because I was so scared of the Doctor."

"Why?"

"Because I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it."

"He's ancient and forever. He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop it! I said stop it." John protested.

"And he's wonderful."

"I've still got this. The journal."

"Those are just stories."

"No they aren't." Gene stated, shaking her head. Something exploded and the house shook.

"What the hell?"

"They're destroying the village." Gene said, not panicking and not even needing to look out of the window to know what was happening.

"The watch."

"John, don't."

"Closer." The watch whispered.

"Can you hear it?" Tim asked as the watch continued to mutter in John's hands.

"I think he's asleep. Waiting to awaken."

"Why did he speak to me?"

"Oh, low level telepathic field. You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing— Is that how he talks?"

"That's him. All you have to do is open it and he's back."

"You knew this all along and yet you watched while Gene and I—"

"I knew too." Gene whispered. Joan glared at her, John looked up at her, heartbroken.

"You knew?"

"It was going to end... The Doctor said the Family's got a limited lifespan, and that's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said." Martha commented.

"So your job was to execute me. Both of you."

"John…"

"You let me fall in love with you…and you knew this was coming?"

"Yes… I'm sorry, I just—"

"Do you even love me?"

"Yes! With all of my heart. But people are dying out there…and there's nothing we can do. If I could do something I would, it would have been done ages ago, but I can't."

"It's getting closer." Tim said, hearing another explosion.

"I should have thought of it before. I can give them this. Just the watch. Then they can leave and I can stay as I am."

"You can't do that!"

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him."

"He'll never let you do it."

"If they get what they want, then, then—"

"Then it all ends in destruction. I never read to the end, but those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer, for war across the stars for every child. Martha, Timothy, would you leave us alone, please?" The two of them left and Gene moved to stand next to John. "No, you've done enough damage."

"But—"

"Go." John said in a quiet voice. Gene's heart felt a sharp pain and she frowned, leaving the room.

"Gene, you're the smart one, what are we going to do?" Tim asked, looking up at her expectantly.

"I have to do something… I can buy some time… Keep John…the Doctor safe, alright?" Gene asked Martha, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll handle it. Stay here, stay safe."

"Don't do anything stupid, Gene." Martha warned as Gene walked away. Tim got up and followed Gene into the woods.

"Gene…" Time stated, grabbing her arm. "You're hiding something."

"And...?" Gene asked with wide eyes.

"He doesn't know. But I can hear it, in your head." Tim said with wide eyes. "You're so scared. I've never known anyone to be so scared."

"Don't—"

"I won't say a word. Be careful, that plan's a bit stupid."

"Stay safe… You're a good kid Tim."

"Thanks." He smiled before Gene headed off and he went back to Martha. "Plan two just began."

"What's that?"

"Give me five minutes." Tim stated.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"I thought I told you to leave." Joan snapped at them.

"Where's Gene?" John asked, much to Joan's despair.

"She's gone off…said she was going to do what she could. I think she went to them." Tim said.

"What?" Martha knew that what. That 'what' was the same one that the Doctor used every time Gene did something ridiculous. It didn't take half a second for him to open the watch.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Never mind the girl." Baines said, looking at the unconscious girl on the floor. "We'll blast them into dust, then fuse the dust into glass, then shatter them all over again." The door to the spaceship opened and the Doctor stepped in, his eye looking at Gene, quickly before he pretended not to notice she was there.

"Just—" the ship rocked and he ended up against the switches, flipping them as he regained balance. "Just stop the bombardment. That's all I'm asking. I'll do anything you want, just, just stop."

"Say please."

"Please." The Doctor pleaded.

"Wait a minute." Jenny sniffed. "Still human."

"Mmm." Gene groaned quietly, moving slightly, slowly coming back around.

"Now I can't, I can't pretend to understand, not for a second, but I want you to know I'm innocent in all this. He made me John Smith. It's not like I had any control over it." His hands flipped more switches nonchalantly.

"He didn't just make himself human. He made himself an idiot."

"Same thing, isn't it?"

"I don't care about this Doctor and your family." He said, leaning down to touch Gene's cheek gently. Her eyes slowly flickered open and the Doctor saw a bruise on the side of her head. Fire filled his eyes…the family would pay. "I just want you to go. So I've made my choice. You can have him. Just take it, please! Take him away. Just let me take her and go, please." The Doctor held out the watch.

"At last." Baines took the watch and then pushed the Doctor away into a wall where more switches were activated. "Don't think that saved your life or hers. Family of Mine, now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord." Baines opened the watch and they all sniffed deeply.

"It's empty!"

"Where's it gone?" The Doctor asked, moving to Gene and pulling her to her feet, making sure she was steady. The way she was moving, he was sure that she had a concussion.

"You tell me." Baines stated, throwing the watch at the Doctor which he caught without looking.

"Oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection. Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. But it has got to be said, I don't like the looks of that hydroconometer. It seems to be indicating you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilisers feeding back into the primary heat converters. Oh. Because if there's something you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons. And you should have _never_ have touched Gene. But, in fairness, I will give you one word of advice. Run." The Doctor picked Gene up and ran as the alarms sounded.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Doctor. Martha. Gene," Tim called out gently.

"Tim Timothy Timber." The Doctor smiled back.

"You feeling okay, Gene?" Tim wondered.

"My head is better thanks to the TARDIS." Gene smiled at him.

"Good. I just wanted to say goodbye. And thank you. Because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight."

"I think we do."

"But you could get hurt."

"Well, so could you, travelling around with him, but it's not going to stop you." Tim stated.

"Tim, I'd be honored if you'd take this." The Doctor said, handing him the watch.

"I can't hear anything." Tim stated.

"No, it's just a watch now. But keep it with you, for good luck."

"Look after yourself." Martha said hugging him tightly. Gene looked at her favorite student and he looked back at her. He moved forward and hugged her tightly.

"Good luck, with everything. I hope you find your answers someday."

"I hope so too." Gene sighed, hugging him tighter. "Thank you for being such a wonderful student."

"Thank you for being the best teacher ever. I've never had a teacher throw things at their students just to teach a lesson."

"But the look on Baines' face was priceless."

"Indeed." Tim laughed, pulling away. Gene stepped into the TARDIS after Martha.

"You'll like this bit." The Doctor promised before he too went into the TARDIS.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene looked at the watch with wide eyes as she sat on her bed. The watch was silent, it didn't whisper as the Doctor's had. Gene wiped the tears out of her eyes when she came up with another idea. The watch was empty. It had to be.

Gene sighed in relief. Perhaps she wasn't really a monster saved from war with the express purpose to destroy the person she loved.

She clicked the button and opened the watch, waiting to see the face of a clock, but she didn't. The whole inside of the fob watch was glowing gold.

"No!" Gene snapped, snapping the watch shut quickly, before the golden light could consume her. She threw the watch against the wall and screamed in anger and fear. The watched bounced back, sliding under the dresser, out of sight but far from out of mind. She buried her head in her arms and let her tears fall down.

_"They were trying to tear the universe apart."_

Is the girl in the watch like that?

_"They would rather kill you before you committed a crime rather than trying to figure out why they would be pushed to do something so bad."_

Would she have done that?

_"The high council attempted to send several people through the Untempered Schism, hoping that one of them would slip through, out of the war to save them. To even look into the Schism could drive people insane…"_

Would the person in the watch be insane? Cruel? A monster?

_"All of the good ones were put on the front line…dying over and over again…never to survive."_

"What kind of monster am I?" Gene asked herself, crying into her knees as she pulled them up against her chest.

Three knocks landed on the door.

"Gene?"

Silence.

Gene sighed in relief, maybe he wouldn't come in. She couldn't let him see her like this, he couldn't know.

"Gene?" The Doctor called again, knocking on the door. "Are you okay?" Gene rolled over and buried her face in the pillow, trying to mute her sobs.

She didn't deserve him. She could be some psycho Time Lord left behind for the soul purpose of destroying him. He saved the universe, and she wasn't meant to be a part of it. Everything about her was wrong, down to her own thoughts.

The door creaked open but Gene didn't hear it. "Oh, Gene…" The Doctor whispered. He walked across the room and put his hand on her back comfortingly, sitting next to her.

"L-leave me. P-please just go."

"What is it? Sweetheart?"

"You can't help me… Just go…please…just leave me alone for a while. I need to be alone." The Doctor pulled his arm away from her. He brushed her hair out of her face and leaned over her, kissing her cheek gently.

"Whenever you need me… I'm just down the hall." The Doctor promised. Gene nodded and buried her face further. The Doctor frowned and walked to the door. "Gene, whatever it is, you can talk to me about it… You should know that." He said before he left the room and closed the door.

"Yeah… I'm a psychopathic murderer sent through a schism to kill you… Let's see how long we last through that conversation." Gene sobbed harder into her pillow.

* * *

**Next time: Things get better...or worse. However you want to look at it.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Rule number 1: I lie. I said things would get better...but...I lied. Please try not to throw rotting things at me. It had to be done.**

**To the reviewer(s):**

**ShadowTeir: Thank you so much. :D**

**Skidney: Well, I'd like to apologize for this next one.**

**The Yoshinator: Yeah...you might want to give her a bigger hug after this.**

**Also many thanks to all of the favorites and the follows.**

**I don't own Doctor Who... **

**Thank you Shirleylocked for telling me to write and thank you to my long-distance friend for giving me a few plot twists...well a lot of the plot twists.**

**Speaking of my long-distance friend, this is where her dream ends and my ideas begin. Thank you so much my dear friend for the idea that brought this to life, you are truly gifted with the best dreams ever, I would pay money for dreams like yours. :D**

**And... **

**I'm so sorry.**

* * *

The Choice…the Worst Sort

It had been months since the family. The Doctor knew Gene had a secret and that she was keeping it from him, but it didn't push them apart. She'd come out of her room a few days after she'd realized that she wasn't really a human and talked to the Doctor.

_"I know something…well two things, and they scare the hell out of me. Seeing you human, it made me think about things…lots of things. And my brain worked out a few things… I'm sorry that I avoided you like that, but they hit me so suddenly it was too much for me to wrap my head around. I didn't want to drag you into that." Gene told him quietly, looking down at the ground._

_"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked, concerned after not seeing her for a while. Gene wasn't one to throw fits, she was always calm, cool, and collected. _

_"I don't think I'll be alright until I truly understand some things. My mind is taking me in endless circles right now."_

_"You don't want to talk about it." The Doctor nodded in understanding._

_"I don't think I could even if I wanted to. Wibbly wobbly, timey whimey." Gene bit her lip._

_"Alright…" The Doctor smiled gently and pulled her into a warm hug._

_"You don't care that I'm not telling you something?" Gene asked in awe._

_"Sweetheart, everyone has secrets. I haven't told you everything, for wibbly wobbly reasons, why should I ask for you to tell me more than you're able? I know very well your mind can be thousands of years ahead of everyone else's…and I respect that." Gene hugged him tighter._

_"I promise, when I figure everything out I'll tell you, but right now…I can't."_

_"It's alright… It's all fine."_

"Skiing?" Martha asked in wonder. "What no aliens?"

"Martha!" Gene called loudly as the Doctor helped her with her gloves. "Don't curse us. I was looking forward to a nice holiday."

"Holiday?" Martha asked with a smile.

"Oh, shut up. If you spent two years with only Americans you would have picked up some of our terms as well. Like chips and fries." Gene stuck her tongue out at her.

"Never."

"I don't blame you, our accents are so boring." Gene shrugged.

"No they're not." The Doctor protested. "I like your voice."

"If you find your accent boring, why haven't you let us sway you to the dark side?"

"Because how else are you going to find me? The TARDIS automatically translate random languages into English, and usually gives them an English accent. At least when I'm in trouble, you'll know I'm the only American in the room and hopefully you'll come looking for me."

"I'll always come looking for you." The Doctor promised. "Have either of you actually skied before?"

"I have." Gene stated.

"Really?" The Doctor asked.

"Part of my physics class."

"So was cliff diving."

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Lucky guess." The Doctor shrugged.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene saw the light and went after it, which was her big mistake. Of course, she couldn't have known what would happen. Gene opened her eyes in an all white room and looked at the man in front of her.

"I was wearing skiing gear… Why am I wearing a tank top and jeans?" Gene asked the man.

"Because you're inside now. It was very warm."

"I don't remember being inside."

"Sorry, this place has a disorienting effect on the best of people."

"Oh, where am I then?"

"The home of Thimend."

"Oh…"

"He is regretfully out of his home for a while, but you are welcome to stay. I'm sure he'd love to meet the intelligent Gene Cooper."

"I didn't tell you my name."

"You're famous, even across the galaxies where you are so far from home." He said with a smile. His voice was soothing, gentle. "I've noticed you have quite a few worries, dear child. Too many for one mind, I'm sure."

"You know nothing of my troubles."

"Oh, but I do. I am of a species where we can feel and know the concerns of others."

"Don't—"

"I won't say a word." He promised. "You are not able to speak of your concerns with those you care for, they wouldn't understand. You can talk to me though. I will listen. Talking will soothe you, make you feel better."

"You're probably right."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Why have you entered the palace of Thimend?" An ice-blue alien asked looking at the Doctor.

"The palace of Thimend?" The Doctor asked, anger flaring in his eyes. "I thought you were—"

"We moved…there were…complications with the others."

"What's Thimend?"

"A creature who feeds off of the minds of others. They trap a consciousness and send a Soother into the mind of the victim, to get rid of all of their quirks, fears, anger, and problems before feeding it to the Thimend."

"We need minds." The woman said.

"My friend is here and I want her back."

"Sorry, but I don't think that will be possible." The Doctor grabbed her by the throat and pressed her against the wall.

"Do you know who I am?"

"No."

"I'm the Doctor." The girl's eyes widened in fear. "Ah, so you do know me. I will be leaving this place with Gene Cooper or you will meet the oncoming storm. Is that understood?" Martha had never seen him so angry before, so powerful. The girl nodded and the Doctor let go.

"Take me to her, now." The Doctor demanded. The alien quickly led them into a room where two orbs floated in the air and Gene's body lay on the ground, motionless except for slow, very shallow breaths.

"This is her…and I will let her go under one condition."

"You get no conditions here." The Doctor glared at her.

"I do…you must listen for a few moments or the process will kill her anyway. You're choice."

"Two orbs?" Martha asked after a second. In one they could see Gene sitting across from someone, in the other she was banging on the glass, desperately trying to get out.

"On to capture the consciousness, one to hold back the subconscious." The alien explained. "The subconscious is capable of figuring out what's really happening. If you split the two you can better calm the consciousness."

"Doctor! Doctor, help me… This isn't right! I'm trapped. Something's wrong. Please Doctor, please…" the subconscious of Gene was very upset. A light surrounded that orb and she went silent as the other orb filled the air with sound.

"I won't say a word. You are not able to speak of your concerns with those you care for, they wouldn't understand. You can talk to me though. I will listen. Talking will soothe you, make you feel better." The Doctor glared at the alien and the man in the orb, but he knew he would have to wait at least a few minutes before releasing Gene.

"You're probably right." Gene sighed heavily.

"I usually am. What's troubling you?"

"Many things."

"Let's find somewhere to start. How about we start in the cemetery? What did you see there?"

"Cemetery?" The Doctor wondered. "When was she ever in a cemetery?"

"I stepped over my own grave." Gene whispered, looking down.

"Must have been terrifying." The Soother whispered.

"It said I died in 2008… That would make me only twenty…but I think I'll be older… I mean. I'm nineteen now right? That should mean that I'll be alright for longer than my twentieth year right?"

"I suppose so."

"She can't die in 2008 can she, Doctor?" Martha asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know…but she's read her future…that makes it a fixed point."

"Can't she die there in like, fifty years?"

"Could do…" The Doctor muttered, his voice breaking with worry.

"But that's not what gets you is it? You're big problem is your selfishness."

"I'm not selfish!"

"You're in denial you lovely girl. You know you're selfish."

"No—"

"Then why haven't you told the Doctor? Why haven't you walked away? You should know better."

"I'm scared." Gene frowned, a tear running down her cheek.

"Scared of what?" The Soother asked.

"He's all I've ever had in my life that's good, that's constant. I want to keep him there as long as I can, because I know one day he'll see it."

"See what?"

"I'm human! I'm human and I'm _never _going to allow that to change!" Gene shouted. "I'm human, weak and fragile…and he's like a god. A god that will never change, never grow old, never get sick." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "One day I won't be good enough for him anymore."

"That's not true." The Doctor whispered, tears running from his eyes.

"I'm going to get old…and I won't be able to chase him around anymore. I won't be able to keep up with his never-ending running. I won't be able to stand next to him without someone wondering if I'm his mother. I'll never be good enough…never. I just want the time I have."

"But you don't have that much. You're going to die soon and you know it. How else could you be buried unless you looked close to the age that you _should've _died at?"

"I know I'm going to die soon…it's inevitable. I read the tombstone, I know too much now."

"And you feel terrible for not leaving while you could."

"Yes." Gene's frown deepened. "I should have left a long time ago. I almost did, but he was so broken from Rose that I couldn't leave him by himself…and then…"

"You fell in love…with someone you should never have been able to have. And now you hate yourself, because you know he'll be the death of you but you keep going."

"I would never blame him."

"That's the point isn't it? You would never blame him for your death, but he will… And here you are, ensuring every day that he ends up standing over your grave, that he feels the pain in his hearts!"

"That's enough!" The Doctor snapped. That was Gene's secret. She knew she was going to die.

"Are you sure you don't want to hear more?" The alien asked. "She has more secrets."

"Let's talk about something else… Something you're hiding all of the time." The Soother stated.

"I don't want to."

"Enough!" The Doctor shouted, instantly the two orbs shattered and a silvery light blared through the room before settling over Gene's limp body. The Doctor was leaning over her in an instant, running his sonic screwdriver over her forehead, checking to see that her mind was intact. "She's in a coma…but otherwise fine."

"There are prices to pay when one meddles with the mind. She'll wake soon."

"If you touch anyone I care for again I swear I'll destroy you." The Doctor said, picking Gene up and holding her against his chest.

"I would never wish to bring the rage of the Time Lord_s_ upon this temple. Go in peace…and good luck." The woman smiled faintly. The Doctor quickly carried Gene out of the room with Martha at his side. They made it to the TARDIS and into its warm rooms without a word. He pulled her out of the warm clothes, leaving her in her t-shirt and jeans, along with her favorite blue bandana. Martha looked at the Doctor and could see the pain in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to make a choice now..."

"What sort of choice?"

"The worst sort." The Doctor said, tears running down his cheeks as he turned to the controls, glancing at Gene's body that lay on the floor, still unconscious.

"What are you doing?"

"What I should have done a long time ago, before I destroyed her…" The Doctor frowned as he picked Gene up. "She still has a life to live, and there's no way I'm going to destroy something so beautiful… Even if it kills me." The Doctor said, stepping out of the TARDIS.

The dust was still settling, the elevator was still groaning. There were people screaming above and sirens calling. The Doctor closed the doors of the TARDIS and slowly lay Gene's body down on the elevator floor. He leaned over her, crying harder than he ever had before.

"I'm so sorry… I've messed up your life far too much. I've taken something perfect and pure and tainted it, just like I always have. I'm not going to ruin you any longer. I'm so sorry…" He whispered. He kissed her lips tenderly, with all of the love he had poured into it. "I love you…never ever forget that. I will always love you." He stood up and walked to the TARDIS doors. "You were wrong you know…you were always _too _perfect for me. The light to my darkness…and I had no right to take it from you…" He looked at her face one more time before he entered the TARDIS and sealed the doors behind him, vanishing.

* * *

**Next time: Waking up alone is the hardest thing in the universe.**


	14. Chapter 14

**To the reviewer(s):**

**ShadowTeir: Thank you :)**

**Skidney: Thank you for not throwing rotten produce at me. :)**

**Mackenziejen: Here you go, lovely.**

**Arinlianette: Tragic is my special favorite.**

**Also many thanks to all of the favorites and the follows.**

**I don't own Doctor Who... **

**Thank you Shirleylocked for telling me to write and thank you to my long-distance friend for giving me a few plot twists...well a lot of the plot twists.**

**Speaking of my long-distance friend, this is where her dream ends and my ideas begin. Thank you so much my dear friend for the idea that brought this to life, you are truly gifted with the best dreams ever, I would pay money for dreams like yours. :D**

* * *

Just a Dream

_"They say you took quite a fall." A familiar voice whispered comfortingly. "You fell ten stories. I guess you knew elevators weren't good, you always hated them so much. The doctor's don't understand why you're in a coma, they say that you shouldn't have survived the fall, but you didn't have a single scratch, just a bruise and you were in a coma. We don't understand it, but I know you'll be alright. Just sleep, you'll be fine."_

8GCGCGCGCGCGCGC8

Gene slowly opened his eyes to the bright white ceiling. She tried to swallow and she couldn't, there was something in her throat. Gene panicked and reached up, pulling the tube out and coughing at the horrendous feeling. Why would the Doctor have a tube down her throat? Wasn't his medical knowledge ahead of such uncomfortable measures? There were alarms going off everywhere and suddenly three people were hovering over her.

"Gene, can you hear us? Are you breathing alright?"

"I'm fine, who are you? Where's the Doctor?"

"I'm your doctor." The older man said with a fake smile.

"No you're not. Where's the Doctor? Where am I? You can't keep me here." Gene insisted, panicking.

"What are you talking about?"

"Whatever it is you want from me I won't give it to you. He'll come after you though, he'll destroy you if you touch me."

"Gene, darling, it's alright, you're safe now."

"No, I'm not!" Gene hissed, she looked down at her arm and moved to pull out the IV, the last thing she wanted was someone poisoning her.

"No, no, no." The doctor said, grabbing her arms and pinning them down. "Listen to me."

"No, let go of me! Doctor!" Gene screamed loudly.

"Listen!" The doctor shouted at her angrily. Gene froze and stared at him with wide eyes.

"You're in the hospital, you fell down an elevator shaft, ten stories. You've been in a coma for a week, but you're okay. We're helping you get better. Whatever it is that's got you scared, it's not real. You've probably been dreaming in your coma. It was just a dream."

"No it wasn't. I couldn't have been… Why am I here? I don't want to be here. Why did the Doctor leave me here?"

"I assure you you're awake. Just don't rip out your IV…try to stay calm. I know it's hard for you."

"Calm is easy, this is not. This isn't real."

"Yes, it is."

"Gene? Oh thank God, you're awake!" Marie's voice filled the air. She ran into the room and gently pushed past the doctor, running her fingers through Gene's hair.

"Marie?"

"It's me…"

"Is this real? Am I really here?"

"Yes…you're here. I promise." Marie nodded. Gene's body instantly went lax and tears ran down her cheeks.

The Doctor had left her.

He didn't want her anymore.

8GCGCGCGCGCGCGC8

"We named him Cody." Mrs. Parker told Gene. Gene picked up the little boy and held him gently in her arms, cradling him.

"He's perfect." Gene whispered quietly. "I met someone named Cody once, but he was green. The Doctor said that could happen sometimes." Gene shrugged.

"The Doctor?" Mrs. Parker asked. "Gene it's been two weeks, when are you going to realize he isn't real? When are you going to get your head out of the clouds?"

"He is real, Mrs. Parker." Gene protested.

"No he isn't!" Mrs. Parker shouted, a shadow crossing her face.

_Bi-polar. Hormonal instability after pregnancy… _Gene realized with wide eyes.

"You need to stop talking about that damn Doctor! He isn't real and I won't have you poisoning my children with some insane fairy tale. Now, don't you mention him again, do you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am." Gene said as Mrs. Parker took Cody from her arms and stormed out of the room. Gene ran out of the house and into the street, running out of the small suburbs and down to the cliffs that stood proudly against the ocean. Gene sat down on her favorite bench and covered her face in her hands, crying silently to herself. No one knew where her favorite bench was, she'd moved it with her parents when she was little so that they could have their own secret place.

She knew she could cry there in peace.

"Gene?"

Or not.

"What do you want, Marie?" Gene asked, wiping her face and facing Marie.

"I want to talk to you about the Doctor."

"Why, why would you care?"

"Because I know you're telling the truth." Marie answered simply.

"How?"

"You were wearing shorts and a green top when you came into the hospital… When they found you in the elevator you were wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt."

"You paid attention." Gene smiled.

"Yeah…that and the night you feel, Mom and Dad sent me home. I went home and locked the doors. I went to your room, because I was worried. I didn't think I'd see you again, and then I noticed that your violin wasn't there. You didn't take it to the hospital, so I was afraid someone had taken it. But then I thought it was even more strange, because the watch you kept in your case was in your pocket and you never even look at that watch. So I went downstairs, thinking maybe Mom had moved it somewhere stupid, but it wasn't in the house. Then I heard someone. I ran up the stairs and just as I got into your room your window closed and a man ran across the street into a box that disappeared. The violin was back…on your bed. You'd never put it there."

"You might make detective someday." Gene smiled fondly at her.

"And you act differently. You seem human now."

"So you don't think I'm insane."

"No, I _know _you're insane, you've always been insane." Gene laughed. "But you're not a liar. And you were telling the truth about the Doctor, I mean, I saw the box." Gene sighed and looked down. "So?"

"So what?"

"You should tell me everything."

"I don't think—"

"It will help you feel better." Gene paused for a moment before she spoke.

"Most people have some grand encounter with aliens before they meet the Doctor. They are usually in the wrong place at the wrong time and just happen to be saved by him, and then he carries them off on adventures. I didn't do that. I had no encounter with aliens. I was just in an elevator that was freefalling, and then the Doctor stumbled into me. And he never stops stumbling into me. For some reason, he just can't stop running into me... But this time, I don't think he's ever coming back…

"He visited my house when I was twelve. He decided to come and visit me because he admired my genius. He wanted to pick at my brain, to see if I was really as smart as I seemed in my books and the history books that carried my name. He came and talked to me, and somehow the TARDIS found me as I was falling. He wasn't even supposed to land in America. He was aiming for Japan, but the TARDIS came at the precise moment I was falling so that he could save me."

"The TARDIS?"

"Time and Relative Dimension in Space. It's his spaceship." Gene explained.

"Wait, that means that the Doctor you described was the one we met, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then how does he look so different, the way you describe him…?"

"He regenerated. He's a Time Lord, his species can regenerate. Instead of dying they just change, new personality, new looks, same memories."

"So it's like dying."

"In a way, yes, but he's still the same person." Gene slowly went on to describe all of the adventures she'd gone on, starting with Rose.

"I can't believe she was being that rude to you. I mean you were just starting to get better."

"I was a cold person…and the longer he's gone the more I can feel the numbers taking over my feelings, making me what I was before." Gene frowned, a tear rolling down her cheek. She shook her head and snapped out of it. "Anyway, I ended up in a graveyard where I saw my own tombstone and it says I die in two-thousand eight, which is two years from now."

"What?"

"Yeah…two years from now there's a stone with my name on it next to my parents'." Gene nodded. She then began to describe her growing relationship with the Doctor and her new adventures with Martha."

"And you did all of this in five seconds?" Marie asked in awe as Gene described the ship that was going to crash into the sun.

"He's a time traveler. I've been gone two years. I'm nineteen."

"No way…no way you're nineteen! You're seventeen!"

"Nope…nineteen." Gene commented.

"God, time travel is confusing."

"Don't I know it?" Gene wondered. "Then we got chased by the family, they needed to consume a Time Lord so that they could live forever. So the Doctor had to change himself into a human."

"Is that even possible?"

"That's what I asked. It was, he could use a Chameleon Arch to change every cell of his body into a human one, and then his Time Lord self was stored in a fob watch." Gene paused for a minute, wondering if she was going to tell Marie the truth or not. "I have a fob watch too. One that I never open…one that I ignore." Gene stated, pulling the watch in question out of her pocket.

"What does that mean? Are you an alien?" Marie asked. "Are you a Time Queen or Princess or something like that?"

"I'm a Time Lady…sent out of the war…somehow."

"Did you tell him that?" Marie wondered.

"No! Heavens no! In the end all of the Time Lords were corrupt and evil and trying to bring about the end of reality. They were going to destroy the universe! What if I'm one of them? What if I'm the one they sent out to kill the Doctor and end the time war? No, I didn't tell him, and I'm not going to open the watch."

"That explains why you're so smart though." Marie nodded calmly.

"How are you so calm about this?"

"Gene, I've lived with you for seven years, if I freaked out over every strange thing that I heard I would have died of an anxiety attack years ago." Marie teased.

"I guess so…"

"So you don't think he's coming back?"

"No…something I must have done…"

"He doesn't seem like the type of person to want to leave anyone behind, maybe he had no choice. Maybe he heard you were going to die and he panicked. Maybe he thought it was his fault."

"I'd rather die young by his side then die old all alone." Gene frowned.

"But you'll see him again." Marie promised with a smile.

"Will I?" Gene asked.

"He saw you in his past, and you haven't done that yet."

"True…" Gene smiled faintly.

"We should go home, it's getting dark." Marie commented.

"Yeah, don't tell your Mom. She's bi-polar."

"Is she?" Marie asked in shock.

"Aliens don't shock you, but your mother being bi-polar does? It's a chemical imbalance that's set her off. Her pregnancy messed with her hormones. That's why she's so moody."

"So…that sonic screwdriver."

"What about it?"

"Can I try it on the front door?"

"Sure…"

It was going to be impossible, Gene realized. She may have one person who knew what had really happed in those five seconds on the elevator…but Marie would never really understand.

_I'm going to die in two years… That might not be such a bad thing. _Gene thought to herself. At least she wouldn't have to go too long without the Doctor in her life… She would be dead.

* * *

**Next time: Bus ride to death.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, this is only a temporary fix. I have Internet for a full...50 minutes. So here you go! The formatting will be off a bit, but it's still a chapter right?**

** WARNING! This chapter will have language and mentions of self harm. **

**To the reviewers: **

**ShadowTeir: This chapter may answer your question. I promise there won't be suicide. (see the end notes, trust me). **

**Skidney: Thanks! **

**Mackenziejen: Here you go :) **

**Torchwood Cardiff: Thank you dear. :) **

**Guy S Jackson: Okay. :) **

**Anonymous: I just want you to know that I love you, first of all. You made me soooo happy when I saw this! Alright, about 11, read on. (also look at the picture :D) No second TARDIS, to be explained later. **

**1. Not telling you, but you will probably be mad when you realize the answer to this question. **

**2. Answered in this chapter. **

**3. Haha nice try. Spoilers.**

** 4. Answered in the chapter, also remember that John could remember his watch after learning what it was. **

**5. Let's just say River and Gene may or may not get along so well. And again, thank you for he wonderful review! **

**Fishie: Here you are! **

**That One Girl: Female Sheldon huh? Never thought of that. She's a bit more emotional though (post-doctor).**

** The Yoshinator: I only get it for brief moments in time. D: it's frustrating! **

**PromiseMeCourage: thank you for the love! **

* * *

Bus To Death

A lone girl sat on the bus, seven seats back on the right. Her brown hair was cut short, barely touching her shoulders. Her blue eyes were tired, as if she hadn't slept in weeks. She wore a pair of faded blue jeans and a long-sleeved grey t-shirt. She was pale and a little too thin to be healthy.

"Go shopping today, Gene?" the driver asked.

"No, that's Tuesday's..." Gene sighed. She shopped on Tuesdays... She had moved out of her old house months ago, her adoptive mother had snapped at her. "I visited Marie today."

"That's good." he smiled at her.

"I guess so." Gene agreed simply. She did like her adoptive sister, but the fresh-on-the-force police officer was far too knowledgeable for her liking. Marie noticed everything and she brought to life old scars with one word: Doctor. That one word made Gene feel more alone. Ever since he'd left she slowly forgot how to see past the numbers and once again she was alone, unloved, drowning...and dying if her grave had anything to say about it. However, Marie also helped her remember to feel occasionally. The Doctor... Gene thought. He was nothing but a gaping hole where her heart and emotions should have been. He had been everything to her. Her friend. Her first love. Her only love. Her savior.

He'd abandoned her.

Left her at the bottom of an elevator shaft.

He didn't want her.

He didn't need her.

"How's she doing?"

"Fine... Dating some boy."

"Good for her."

"Yeah..." Gene nodded, looking out the window.

"Find yourself a man yet? You're a pretty girl."

"The world thinks I'm insane and the Doctor's ruined me for any other man."_ Besides...I won't be here for long._ She thought to herself.

"Must be a helluva guy." Gene didn't say anything. The bus driver-Trent-was the only one who didn't treat Gene like she was scum, he actually tried to talk to her.

BEEP!

"What was that?" Trent asked jumping slightly. Gene's eyes widened and she reached into her pocket. She always carried two things with her. The watch and the screwdriver. She pulled out the screwdriver to see it glowing blue at the end. "What's that?"

"A screwdriver." Gene said slowly standing up and moving into the aisle.

"Doesn't look like one."

"Shh!" Gene snapped, listening. "Do you hear that? The whirring?"

"No..." there was a loud thud against the emergency door and suddenly it was being lifted away. Gene jumped back and put her sonic away as daylight filtered in from above. Suddenly a face popped in from above. He was a young man with a very angular face and long brown hair that was swept out of his eyes.

"Gene?" the Doctor called out before spotting her and smiling. "Hello, Gene."

"No... How could you?"

"Well, I have a time machine." the Doctor commented pointing over his shoulder with his thumb. "I need you to come with me."

"Just like that?"

"...Yes...why?"

"Not even an apology. It's been a year! One hellish year!" the Doctor could always bring out her emotions. Now she was hurt and angry.

"Oh...about that."

"And you regenerated without me. You promised! You promised I would be there for you!"

"We really don't have time for this."

"What in the hell is going on?!" Trent shouted barely keeping his eyes on the road.

"You don't have time? What the hell!? You've got a fucking time machine and you don't have time?!"

"Gene I promise I'll tell you what's going on, but you have to come with me."

"You left me! You said you loved me and then you left me behind! You wouldn't even let me be there while you regenerated! Why the fuck should I trust you when all you do is lie to me!?" There were tears...but none of them fell.

"You were there Gene. I could never ever leave you forever."

"Could have fooled me."

"Please, come with me. I'll explain everything. We're meeting in the wrong order again...but I promise I'll explain everything."

"Doctor...I don't think I can trust you."

"The Doctor is real?! He's the Doctor?"

"Gene...please. Give me one more chance. I promise you can punch me. I deserved it."

"I-"

"Come on Gennie." the Doctor said holding his hands downward for her to grab. She stared at them for a moment before reaching up and letting him pull her on top of the bus, her hair whipping in the wind as the Doctor apologized to the bus driver before leading Gene by the hand toward the TARDIS. Gene stepped into the TARDIS and froze as the Doctor closed the door. "Oh...in the future the TARDIS changes a bit." the Doctor said when he noticed Gene's shocked and hurt expression.

"Why now?" Gene asked as the Doctor piloted the ship. He tossed a newspaper at Gene and she looked at the front page. The bus she had been on was on the cover with a semi crushed into the side of it. 'Drunken Driver Hits Bus, No Injuries'. "You left Trent?"

"He was fine. If you had been on that bus the semi would have killed you."

"Why though?" Gene asked. "Why save me now? You know what's going to happen to me."

"Time can be re-written." the Doctor insisted. "Now, roll up your sleeves." The Doctor stated as soon as the TARDIS landed.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"If you think your going to get me to strip just like that-"

"As much as I'd love to, now is not the time." He said moving forward, pinning her against the wall.

"Don't-!" Gene insisted trying to get away from him. The TARDIS growled at her distress, angry with the Doctor.

"Why do you always pick her side?" the Doctor frowned before he grabbed Gene's arms tightly and yanked up her sleeves. Angry cuts at different stages of healing were on her forearms. Gene stared at the Doctor with wide eyes as his eyes became very tender and sad. He slowly leaned down and kissed each of her forearms.

"How did you know?"

"I told you... I would never leave you behind. I can't take it." the Doctor hugged her tightly. "Come on, darling. Let's make sure you don't get an infection."

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor gently began to dab a cool, blue substance on Gene's cuts. "You never did tell me why..."

"Why what?" Gene asked quietly, looking down.

"Why did you cut yourself?" he asked looking up at her with his grey-green-blue eyes.

"You left me...and I was alright for a little while. I was sad and hurting...and then it started going away. I was forgetting how to feel my own emotions. I knew I was supposed to be sad and angry and upset, but all I could focus on was the chemicals that go into them. I was afraid I'd never feel again..."

"So you did what you could to feel again...because you knew it was better to hurt then to not feel at all." he finished.

"Yeah..."

"How long? How many? How often?" He wondered as he tenderly cleaned her cuts.

"Seven months...93...about twice a week." Gene answered, looking down, ashamed. The Doctor dropped his clothe and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.

"I'm sorry... I am so sorry. I never wanted this to happen to you."

"Why did you leave me then?" Gene didn't hug him back. She wanted to. She wanted to curl up against him and cry until she felt better. She never wanted to let go again.

"I was scared. I was so scared. I found out that you had found your grave and I was afraid that it would be my fault that you would die...so I ran. I wanted to protect you, all I did was hurt you."

"Why didn't you just _talk_ to me?"

"Because if I talked to you I would have never let you go. I'm a selfish man, especially when it comes to you. I couldn't afford to be selfish if it meant risking your life." he whispered into her ear, holding her tightly.'

"Where are we?" the Doctor pulled away and grabbed the rag again.

"I dropped Amy and the Misses off so that I could come pick you up."

"You're married?"

"We are, yeah. I had to drop you off to pick you up...for some reason the TARDIS doesn't enjoy paradoxes."

"We're married?" Gene asked him eyes wide.

"Shhh." he smiled and placed a finger over his lips. "It's a surprise." Gene laughed and covered her mouth.

"It's been a while since I've laughed... Ah!" Gene yanked her arm away from the salve that stung her right arm.

"Sorry..." The Doctor whispered gently dabbing the open wounds more gently. "Please promise me you'll stop. I don't want you to hurt anymore. Pour your emotions into the violin, not into a razor, please." the Doctor pleaded with her.

"You're coming for me right?"

"Of course." he nodded.

"Will I stay with you this time?"

"Forever." he swore, kissing her forehead. "First you'll meet the ninth me and then I'll come for you-the tenth me that is."

"How long?"

"Your tombstone is very morbidly accurate."

"My grave is empty." Gene said in realization.

"My little genius," he beamed fondly, "always a step ahead of me."

"Brilliant..." Gene smiled slightly. "I'll stop. I promise."

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor sat down on Gene's couch and looked up at her. "Fought with her already then?"

"Had to move out...she thought I was crazy."

"Only a bit." he teased before frowning.

"What?"

"Why haven't you punched me? Last time you punched me."

"I don't know that you're real yet."

"I'm real..." they sat there in silence for a long moment.

"You hurt me." Gene said sitting in the chair across from him as tears streamed down her cheeks. "You showed me a new life and you took it all away. You left me to drown in my thoughts. You left me here with so many problems, things that I can't handle on my own. I have a watch. A fob watch. I'm a Time Lady. All you ever told me was how terrible they were and how they were going to rip apart the universe. What if I'm one of them? How am I supposed to deal with this? What if I was meant to kill you?! What if-how can I-why did you leave me?" Gene fell apart all of her emotions falling back into her, hurt and pain and fear consuming her at long last. The Doctor slowly crossed the room and pulled her into his arms allowing her to curl up against his chest and cry. "I need you...I need you so much."

"I'm here, my love... I've got you. Its going to be alright..." The Doctor soothed, rocking her back and forth kissing her forehead gently. "I've got you, my dear...my light, my love." He held her until she cried herself out, shaking in his arms.

"You know about the watch? You weren't surprised..." Gene said quietly, looking up at him. He smiled and wiped her red face gently, getting rid of the remaining moisture.

"You told me about the watch...a long time ago."

"I'm scared..."

"I know you are..." he sighed, resting his chin on her head.

"Am I different...in the future?"

"You're still you." the Doctor soothed.

"But don't I embarrass you?"

"Embarrass me?" the Doctor asked with wide eyes, looking down at her. "Why would you think that?"

"If I'm still with you I have to be nearing thirty five or forty or even more. I mean I'm twenty one now... And you don't look a second older than twenty."

"Oh Gene, if you were ninety you would still be the most beautiful woman in the universe and I would never be embarrassed by you."

"Really?"

"Really. You are everything to me. I love you with both of my hearts... One day you'll understand. One day you'll see just how much you mean to me, but I'll keep showing you. Every single day for as long as I live."

"I tell you?"

"Yes..."

"Were you angry?"

"No," he said running his fingers through her hair. "I was just upset that you felt like you couldn't come to me." "I was scared..."

"So was I and look at where we ended up." Both of them chuckled weakly.

"How long until I stay forever?"

"Well, from what you've told me you'll spend a year with the old me...and you'll be here in this time for one more year."

"Until 2008?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to be alone all that time?"

"No, I'll visit as often as I can."

"Thank you."

"No problem, my love."

"Can you stay tonight?" Gene asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Of course, my love." he promised, kissing her cheek. "Come on." he stated, helping her to her feet and leading her to her small bedroom in her apartment. He picked her up and gently set her down on the bed before untying her shoes.

"You don't have to do that."

"I always have to take care of you." he smiled up at her, sliding her shoes and socks off before sliding onto the bed with her, covering them both in blankets as they faced each other. Gene slowly reached out but then froze, pulling her hand back. "It's alright." She slowly ran her fingers through his hair and across his jawline, relearning him.

"You're beautiful."

"Am I?"

"Always." Gene smiled at him faintly. She could feel the numbers in her head being drowned by the emotions the Doctor brought into her life. She felt happy, alive again.

"Glad to hear it."

"May I?"

"Always, my love." he agreed before he slid closer, their lips coming into contact for a very tentative gentle kiss. It was different. This Doctor had different lips, but it was somehow the same. The feelings, the adoration, the love. It was the same. And Gene still felt absolutely cherished when he kissed her. A tentative kiss grew into one of passion, pain, love, longing, fear, hope, and joy all at once. They were both holding each other close as if hey were terrified to leave each other's side.

"It really is you." Gene smiled when they broke apart. She hugged him as close to herself as she could.

"It's me... I'm right here and I'm not going to leave you. It wasn't half an hour of cuddling and kissing later that Gene felt her eyes droop. "Don't leave me... Please." the Doctor pulled her torso on top of his and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm not going anywhere. Sleep my love..."

8DWDWDW8

Gene woke up the next morning and looked down at the man in her bed. "You stayed."

"Of course I stayed. Any chance to share a bed with you, I'll take it." Gene blushed.

"About the watch...how can I notice it? It has a perception filter."

"How can you see past psychic paper? Gene you saw my watch and knew what yours was. Once you realized the truth the filter lost its hold on you."

"Like how you noticed yours...in the end."

"And how-well, you don't need to know that yet do you? For once I'm the one who knows the secrets."

"You promise you'll visit?"

"As often as I can."

"What if we miss each other? I'll want to know you came for me...even that's a comfort." the Doctor looked over at the two candles on her side-table.

"The blue candle is yours and the green is mine. If you come home and mine's lit, I've been here." he smiled at her warmly.

"Brilliant." she smiled at him. "Funny, I didn't have nightmares with you here."

"You had nightmares?"

"Mainly about being a psycho Time Lady who killed you...well, mostly about you leaving me..."

"I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all."

* * *

**Thank you so much to all of the support, so for that I think I'll put you at ease.**

**The blood in Genes apartment wasn't self induced, in fact its actually the Doctors fault. Until the next time I steal Internet.**

**Much love!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello, guys! A quick update! I can write without internet, but posting...that's difficult. There's a bit of...well...M in this chapter.**

**PS... If you listen to Skillet at all. Listen to Hero and The Last Night... I feel like that's Gene...**

**To the reviewers: **

**Mackenziejen: Here you go lovely.**

**Yoshinator: I hope so too!**

**PromisemeCourage: Thank you, dear.**

**ArinLianette: It's from a 3Days Grace song. **

**Skidney: Thanks! :)**

**Sherlockian: I fixed it! Hope that's better for you. :)**

**Shadow Teir: Now. :D**

**Anonymous: You will see jealousy. Trust me. I've written bits of when she goes back and it gives you a huge change of perspective on how the Doctor asks when they 'first meet'. It's going to be awesome! **

**1. Thank you. :D**

**2. It will be funny... You won't realize what he did until later though.**

**3. They are sweet... They get a lot closer towards the end of 10's life... Spoilers (see end note).**

**4. I love to see her mad too... She's a tough cookie.**

**Angelof Randomosity: Thanks? :D**

**Ashilla: Here you are! :D**

* * *

The Green Candle, the Snog Box, and Time Lord Biology

Gene took her coat off and put her violin on the chair before she noticed. Her apartment was spotless. Food had been made and the whole place smelt of pine.

"Doctor?" Gene called with a wide smile. He showed up at random times to check on her, to sleep next to her, to hold her, to talk, ect. It had been a week since she'd seen him though. She ran into her bedroom and saw the green candle burning but the room was empty. Through her window she saw him walking toward the TARDIS, definitely disappointed that he caught her at the wrong time.

Gene ran for her door and down the stairs, out into the courtyard and towards the blue box as the Doctor stepped inside. She quickly pulled the door open before she froze, he left it locked, why did it open for her?

"Doctor?!" she called. He spun around and smiled as she closed the door.

"Sorry about the sink. I tried to fix it, though I'm not exactly sure it will work out so-"

"I don't care." Gene said smiling at him warmly before she wrapped his arms around him and kissed him.

As their kiss became more passionate and heated the Doctor managed to press her against the wall of the TARDIS, kissing her soundly. One of his hands ran down her back while the other held her waist. Her hands were tangled in his hair, keeping him close.

Gene was a woman of numbers and she had noticed that this version of the Doctor was shorter than the previous one. It made kissing like this a tad less difficult for them.

"I knew it! I told you it was a Snog Box." a young voice said with a giggle. Gene and the Doctor jumped slightly and separated. "Way to go Doctor." she teased lightly.

"Oh hush Amy." The Doctor snapped at the young red-head who stood near the console with a mousy-haired man. The Doctor wrapped his arm around Gene who was blushing uncontrollably.

"Gene!" Amy called out, running down the stairs and pulling Gene into a tight hug. "It's only been a week but I miss you. The Doctor's absolute rubbish without you."

"Um...hi."

"Amy she doesn't know who you are." the Doctor advised her gently.

"Oh...sorry." Amy said, pulling away.

"Gene, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, our fu-well your future companions, seems how I'm in the present."

"Nice to meet you." Gene smiled shyly at both of them.

"Why is she from the past?" Rory wondered. This whole conversation made Gene feel wonderful. These people knew her, that meant that she really did travel with the Doctor again.  
"I made a mistake and left her behind once. I'm visiting her since she's been alone for so long."

"Ah...that explains the snogging." Amy nodded.

"What are you talking about? They never stop snoging." Rory teased affectionately. Gene blushed a darker shade of red and hid her face in the Doctor's chest.

"Oh don't tease her, she's shy."

"That'll change." Amy chuckled.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

The bed shifted very slightly and Gene's eyes flashed open. Two candles were lit next to her bed. She smiled gently and turned to face the Doctor.

"Hello my love." the Doctor whispered sweetly.

"I missed you." it had been a month since Gene had last seen him.

"I'm sorry...I was a bit tied up, got it fixed though."

"Good... I wrote you a song." Gene whispered tiredly.

"I know. It's amazing." the Doctor smiled at her warmly.

"Did you like the name?"

"The Majestic Tale of a Madman in a Box. Brilliant." he chuckled kissing her cheek. "You're tired. Get some sleep."

"Stay with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere." He promised, pulling her into a warm hug, cuddling with her as she slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.

8DWDWDWDW8

The Doctor tapped Gene on the shoulder and she jumped before she whirled around and smiled at him. "This is ridiculous." Gene frowned. "My apartment is far too small for hide-and-seek."

"It's a bit of a bummer that the rooms don't move randomly, but I do get to kiss you because I found you." he smirked.

"Have to catch me first." Gene giggled getting away from him and running into the living room.

They both stood on either side of the sofa, staring each other down.  
"I'll get you, beautiful."

"Really?"

"Is that a challenge?" the Doctor asked as they both darted to the opposite end of the sofa.

"Do you want it to be?" The Doctor smirked and jumped over the sofa. Gene shrieked and ran for her bedroom. She tried to hop over her bed but the Doctor caught her, laying her flat against her back, pinning her hands above her head. His legs were fit easily in-between hers.

"I got you, beautiful." The Doctor grinned. Both he and Gene giggled lightly before the Doctor became very serious. "I'm going to take that kiss now." he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, releasing her hands.

It started innocent enough...

Started that way...

The victory kiss became very passionate, very quickly. Gene had her arms in his hair and he had his hands on her hips, rubbing circles on the bare skin there. He stopped kissing her for a second, just to take in air before his lips returned to hers, devouring, claiming.  
Gene felt fire in the pit of her stomach, something she'd never felt so powerfully before growing hotter in her blood. She could also feel the length of the Doctor, hard against her thigh.  
The Doctor pulled back and began to kiss down Gene's neck as Gene gasped for breath and pulled him closer. It was a silent request for more...and he knew it better than she did.  
The Doctor pulled her t-shirt off and smiled when he saw that she was wearing a bra that was the exact same shade of blue as the TARDIS. His favorite color against her creamy skin. His hands traveled up her sides as his lips met hers again.

"Doctor..." she gasped against his lips.

"Yes, my love..."

"I...I've never...um." The innocence in her voice made the Doctor pause. She was never unsure...she was a minx. The only time she'd been this shy had been- He knew instantly that they couldn't continue.

"I'm sorry. God I'm so sorry..." He whispered pulling away from her. He'd gotten her all wound up and he couldn't even touch her.

"What?"

"We can't do this right now."

"Oh...you don't...want me...okay..." Gene was upset, feeling unwanted, ugly. She lifted a blanket to cover herself as much as she could.

"No, no, no, no..." the Doctor protested, grabbing her hands gently. "Oh, my love it's not that at all. No, never. I'd have you right here until you begged for mercy twice if I could, but I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh you beautiful girl... We don't do this now, because you're still a virgin, my love."

"Is that wrong?" She looked down with a blush. She knew statistically that most girls post there innocence by the end of college.

"No... You pay far too much attention to what society deems appropriate. No...it's perfect. We just can't do this now...because in my past...the first night we truly slept together we were both virgins...and I wouldn't change that night for the universe."

"So it's not that you don't...want me?"

"Gene you're a smart girl, you must have felt how much I want you." Gene bit her lip and blushed. The Doctor grabbed her shirt from its spot on the floor and helped her pull it on. "Have I told you about Time Lord biology yet?"

"No..." Gene said, trying to will the fire in her gut away.

"We mate for life. It's spectacular the bond that's formed between a Lord and his Lady. That moment...that beautiful moment that we share as lovers it opens all of the doors between us... We become one, no longer two. It's amazing... And you need to experience that in the correct time."

"But I'm human...can I even feel the things you feel?"

"If course you can. It doesn't matter that you're a human, it matters that you're mine...and I'm yours."

"You chose me? Of all the people in the universe...and you chose me?" the Doctor leaned forward and kissed her cheek before placing his lips at her ear.

"I'd never chose anyone else."

"But I'm so flawed, and I might even be someone sent to kill you."

"Just so, I'd die happy and never wish to chose another. You're the keeper of my hearts, never forget that."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Some days Gene would wake up to see both candles burning, knowing that the Doctor had been there, but had needed to leave. It comforted her just to know he'd been there.

Today was different.

He was there.

"I can't visit you for a while."

"Why not?" Gene asked with wide eyes.

"Technically you'll see me in a week, but you won't see me for a year."

"What? How's that? Oh... I'm going to meet the ninth you aren't I?"

"Soon." the Doctor agreed with a nod. "Keep your sonic and your key close."

"I never let them out of my sight." She promised.

"And please...be careful. Don't do anything stupid."

"Me? Stupid?"

"You know what I mean." he smiled and leaned in, kissing her lips tenderly. "I love you, an I'll see you soon."

"Till next time." Gene whispered back warmly.

"Soon." he agreed before he left in his blue box.

* * *

**Spoiler because we reached 50 reviews:**

**_"It wasn't you're fault... You couldn't have known it would happen..." The Doctor whispered, gently touching Gene's cheek. She slowly turned and looked at him. They were in the room the TARDIS had made, specifically for the tragic event... A room that brought nothing but pain to the Doctor and Gene...but moreso Gene._  
**

**_"It was my fault..." Gene whispered, looking down at the two lost souls. "It was my job to protect them... I failed."_**

**_That was the most Gene had said in three weeks._**

**_The Doctor was just glad to hear her voice again as he held her tighter._**

**Much love!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, ninth Doctor!**

**To the reviewers: **

**TheYoshinator: Sorry about the evilness... Thanks for the review.**

**Yugioh13: Thank you for catching the reference. Can you spot Moriarty in this chapter?**

**ShadowTeir: Thank you... They won't be going any further for a while sorry...**

**Skidney: Thank you, dear.**

**Arinlianette: Not telling you, spoilers.**

**I'msorrymylove:**

**1&2. Read on.**

**P.S. Anonymous, you should get an account...forgot to answer that part of your review.**

* * *

Jump

"I'm glad he's back Gene." Marie's voice came through the payphone. It was January, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of crisp white snow. Gene had on a jacket and sweatpants as she stood, calf deep in the cool substance, content. "When are you going to get a house phone of your own? You really shouldn't go without. It's dangerous. What if something happens and I can't get ahold of you? What if you get hurt and you can't call anyone to come to your aid?"

"You're a police officer. Flash the lights and go." Gene teased.

"That doesn't solve anything if I don't know if you're in trouble or not…"

"I have an angel watching out for me. I'll be fine." Gene smiled fondly, thinking about her angel.

"You do seem so much better… He really is good for you, even though he's left you. It's good of him to keep coming back to you. Wait, if he left you and found out about it, why didn't the one you knew come back for you?"

"He couldn't. It would mess with too many timelines. It would create a paradox." Gene sighed. She missed the Doctor, it had been four days and she missed him…

"Are you still…cutting?" Marie asked cautiously.

"I don't have to, I can feel just fine. He helps me remember how to feel…like a normal person." Gene sighed and looked towards the cliffs. Her eyes widened instantly. Sitting on the edge of a cliff was an old, faded TARDIS. A smile filled her face and her heart fluttered. He had an effect on her, even when she couldn't see him. "I have to go."

"What?"

"I have to go! I'm going on a trip, I'll call you when I get back, don't wait too long. BYE!" Gene called, hanging up the phone before she ran to the box. It hummed happily as soon as she touched the door. "We haven't met yet and you still know who I am… I love you too, girl." Gene smiled before she stepped inside after twisting her key in the lock. It was a familiar TARDIS, one she knew well. "Where is he?" The TARDIS growled. Gene knew what that meant. He was outside, being an idiot. He was in danger. "Idiot!" Gene snapped before she ran out of the TARDIS.

She looked down at the snow and smiled when she saw a set of footprints that could only belong to an alien with really large claws and a long tail, surrounded by two sets of human footprints. No one sane went out to the cliffs in the winter, too many freak accidents. She chased after the prints until she saw them on the side of a cliff. Two hundred yards in front of her a green alien jumped off of a cliff. It was a fifty foot drop into sharp rocks, waves, and icy water.

Of course the Doctor wearing the black leather jacket jumped in after it. The only thing left on the cliff was a short blonde woman. Gene watched as the Doctor fell fifty feet and she knew by the way he landed on the rock below that he had broken his arm. He's miscalculated his jump and smashed one arm against a jagged edge. Gene began to run, horror stricken when the alien grabbed him and drug him under the surface of the water.

Gene pulled off her jacket and her gloves as she ran towards Rose who was calling to the Doctor worriedly. Gene stopped next to her and started to yank off her shoes and socks. "Who are you?" Rose asked, eyeing Gene with confused eyes.

"Gene Cooper, hi!" Gene stated.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Freezing!" Gene admitted, taking twenty steps back before she started running towards the edge of the cliff.

"What are you doing?!"

"Something stupid!" Gene yelled, flinging herself off of the cliff, knowing where she would land based on her velocity. The Doctor had warned her not to do anything stupid… Oops. She closed her eyes tightly, knowing what was about to happen.

Hitting the water felt like being skewered by thousands of knives. The air in her lungs was forced out by the water as she sunk below the surface. She kicked hard and surfaced before she took a deep breath and dove downwards. Her whole body felt ice cold and burning at the same time, but she ignored it and opened her eyes, searching for the Doctor.

Fifteen feet from her the alien was grappling with the Doctor and slammed him against a large rock. The Doctor's head snapped back and hit the rock, his eyes rolling as he blacked out. The alien instantly turned to look at Gene. She pulled out her sonic and pointed it at the alien, flinging it against a rock, thankful that the alien was wearing metal armor. She swam quickly for the Doctor, wrapping an arm around him before swimming upwards. Her lungs were burning, her heart was racing. Everything ached, but she kept swimming until she made the surface. She gulped in a huge lungful of air and slipped her sonic back into her pocket before she slapped the Doctor as hard as she could on his back. He coughed and water spewed from his mouth. He took a deep breath and his eyes opened.

He instantly panicked and attempted to get away from her.

"Hey, sh, listen to the American. You're alright. I've got you. Calm down." She said in her most soothing voice. "You've broken your arm and you don't want to damage to much more. You'll be alright, I've got you."

"Who are you?" The Doctor spluttered.

"I'm a friend." Gene promised, pulling her necklace out of her shirt to show him the TARDIS key that was on the end of it.

"How…?"

"Listen, right now, you just need to trust me right now." She insisted in a no-nonsense voice. It was a voice that the Doctor had never heard before, but he knew-somehow-that it meant that she was not to be trifled with. She kicked as hard as she could, glad that he had stopped panicking and had started to help her as much as he could. She found a small outcropping in the rocks and swam for it. She made it there and twisted the Doctor around in her arms. He grabbed the ledge with his good arm and she helped him pull himself onto the ledge. He crawled onto it and pulled his limp arm into his sleeve and used his coat to make a makeshift sling.

Gene put her arms on the platform and tried to push herself up onto the rock, but she was to weak. Her arms shook and gave out and she fell back into the icy water. The Doctor saw her struggling. Her legs were numb and she couldn't hardly keep herself above water. She reached up again and tried to pull herself up. She started to slip again and suddenly there was a warm hand in hers. She pushed herself up as hard as she could and the Doctor helped her slide up onto the rocks. She curled up in a ball, shaking.

"Thank you…" The Doctor whispered, out of breath. He would have drowned if she hadn't jumped in after him.

"You're welcome." She stuttered. The adrenalin was gone…hypothermia was taking her.

"Oh no…" He whispered. She didn't have much longer before she died. She was turning blue. He hoisted her up with his good arm. He looked around and quickly moved up a worn path on the side of the cliff and moved as quickly as he could. "Why did you do that? Your body isn't equipped to take those temperatures. Why would you jump five stories after me?"

"You're important." Gene stated, her voice shaking harder. She was trembling in his arms, out of control.

"Important enough to give your life?" He asked with a disbelieving scoff.

"A-always…" Gene promised, curling up against his chest, searching for warmth as her eyes closed.

That one word, so adamant from that strange girl's mouth made the Doctor's mind fill with never-ending questions.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

Gene slowly opened her eyes to find herself in the TARDIS med-bay. "Thanks for taking care of me, girl…but one of these days, could I step aboard without needing medical attention of some sort?" Gene chuckled. The air grew warm in the TARDIS. "I love you too." Gene agreed, slowly getting up. She looked down to see that she was wearing different clothes.

Someone had changed her clothes.

She prayed that the Doctor hadn't changed her clothes. She had gained some weight over the winter, especially since she hadn't been chasing him around, and she definitely didn't want him to see her scars. She walked over to the pile of clothes in the corner to find that her sonic and her key were missing. Panic filled her.

What if the Doctor found the watch?

Oh god…

No.

She began to search the coat she had for the secret pocket where it was hidden and sighed in relief when she found it. She lifted it and looked at it. She'd never felt relief when she held her watch before, but this time, she did. She slipped the biggest secret of her life into her pocket before she left the room.

The Doctor had her sonic and her key. She sighed sadly. He'd told her that he wasn't a trustful in this version of himself. She walked down the familiar halls slowly, stepping through the console room doors and just listening.

"How does she have a sonic?"

"I don't know." The Doctor answered.

"Why does she have a key? I don't understand." Rose insisted.

"Me neither…"

"Is that the Gene Cooper we met in 2000?" Rose asked. That cute, awkward little girl who was smart as a whip grew into a very beautiful young woman.

"You could always ask me." Gene commented, with a small smile. She walked up to the console as Rose and the Doctor jumped. "Thanks for warming me up by the way…it was rather chilly in that water."

"You look better." Rose commented.

"Thank you." Gene smiled at her warmly. It was strange to see Rose again…she was trapped in a parallel world where she came from.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked in a no-nonsense tone. It was a tone most people ran away from, but Gene was immune. She didn't even flinch.

"You warned me about this… You said you were slow to trust. I'm Gene Cooper." Gene smiled and held out her hand to him. "And for once, I know you far better than you know me." She smiled as he took her hand.

"I don't understand." He said, letting go of her hand.

"We keep falling into each other. Well, I keep falling into you…this time I sort of jumped into you though…. Anyway, what I mean to say is that you save my life in your future, I become a new…companion, we travel for a long while, I get separated from you and now I've stumbled into your time line at an earlier point. All the while your future is colliding with my past while my future collides with your past. No one's more confused than we are and I hope some day we meet in the right order."

"Huh?" Rose asked, confused.

"It's wibbly wobbly, timey whimey." Gene said. _Oh…that's why he used that phrase in the future…she used it with him._

"I must trust you at some point, because you have a key to the TARDIS and she seems to like you… But why do you have a sonic?"

"It was a birthday present…besides you were afraid that I'd get curious and take yours apart."

"Oh…"

"I have this obsession with technology." Gene shrugged, sitting down in the captain's chair.

"The TARDIS just made you a sonic?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes…she did." The TARDIS hummed in agreement.

"What's wrong with the TARDIS?" Rose asked with wide eyes. She'd never heard the TARDIS be so vocal. The Doctor's eyes narrowed, the TARDIS had never been that friendly with anyone before.

"I don't know." He half-lied.

"Oh!" Gene jumped up and looked around. "That alien's still out there."

"Got him while you were sleeping." Rose smiled. "Took him home."

"And I didn't wake up? You didn't crash or anything?"

"No, I'm not a bad driver." The Doctor defended himself.

"Yet…" Gene bit her lip and held back a laugh.

"So wait… If you're from the future, you know me. What am I like in the future?"

"You can't ask that-"

"You're brilliant… You really are." Gene nodded and smiled.

"What about-"

"I won't tell you much else. Timelines to keep." Gene nodded.

"Oh…yeah." Rose smiled sheepishly.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Gene…?"

"Yeah?" Rose moved close to Gene and lowered her voice so the Doctor couldn't hear them from where he stood at the console.

"Why've you got cuts on your wrists?" Rose wondered. Gene instantly looked at the Doctor, worried that he'd heard, but he hadn't, thankfully.

"He can't know. I haven't shown them to him, well noth anywhere near where he is in his time stream. He can't know."

"I won't tell him… I just wanna make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine now…I had a rough year a while ago."

"Okay… I'm glad you're better."

"Thanks."

"If you're staying, you need a room." The Doctor called suddenly.

"Not afraid of me anymore?" Gene asked teasingly.

"I think you're insane, but I'm not afraid." He insisted in a strong voice.

"Quick tip, I _am _insane." Gene stated simply.

"Oh no… We don't have enough room for another crazy." Rose giggled. "'Night you two." Rose hugged Gene and kissed the Doctor's cheek. Gene's face hardened for a split second before it cleared again, but the Doctor noticed.

_That's why she hated me… Rose loved the Doctor…and he loved me… She thought I was reaching for something I shouldn't have had._

"Come on you, let's find a room for you." The Doctor insisted and began to lead her towards the door. It was weird. He didn't touch her… The Doctors she knew always touched her, from the very beginning, even if it was just to hold her hand or brush her hair out of her eyes. They walked down a hallway together and turned left, the wrong way to the place Gene knew to be her bedroom…but then she noticed. "The hallway's changed."

"I love the TARDIS, it makes for the best hide-and-seek games ever." Gene commented.

"It's the wrong hallway." He grabbed her arm to turn her around but she shook her head.

"It's the right one. My room's down here." Gene said. He let go of her like he'd been burned.

"That can't be right." The Doctor shook his head. There were three rooms in that hallway, his, a storage room, and a room that had been empty for years. Gene walked right up to the room that she knew was hers. The door was a foot from the Doctor's. "That room's empty." Gene turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The room was large with dark blue walls and a ceiling that looked like Van Gouges' Starry Night. The floor was a dark hardwood with a white area rug under a pair of chairs. Behind the chairs was a bookshelf full of books and manuals and sheet music from every time period. The bed was a large mahogany four-poster with white, translucent fabric hanging over the posts. The covers were white with light blue pillows. There was a wardrobe in the corner and a pair of shoes under the bed. The room was lit by a crystal chandelier.

"How…?"

"Home sweet home." Gene grinned.

"But…it was empty?" The Doctor said in shock. "Who are you?" He had thought over all those years that the TARDIS had been saving that empty room for someone, someone special… He had tried to delete the room several times in the past, but it was stubborn and never moved. It was just an empty, blank room that took up space. He had always thought it would hold someone special…his future Mate had always been his thought. Was she his Mate in the future?

"Gene."

"No, really, who are you?"

"Just Gene," she smiled at him. "Goodnight, Doctor, sweet dreams…"

"But…?" This woman…Gene Cooper confused the Doctor more than any other person in the universe had before. She knew too much, the TARDIS seemed to favor her, she seemed far to familiar with everything…and she was… She was beautiful. He'd seen all sorts of things in his life, but no one had been able to grab his attention like she did…not in a very long time. He hadn't even felt attraction towards a woman past a sisterly bond until she'd jumped into his life.

It confused him.

It terrified him.

"Goodnight." He turned to leave her room and she put a hand on his shoulder gently. Normally an unexpected touch was unwelcome…any touch was unwelcome, but he only felt warmth at her hand.

"I'm sorry." She was gentle, so considerate. "I know you're scared and confused and that it's all my fault… I don't mean to make you nervous. If you ever need me to leave, just tell me… I know you have your trust issues right now and I know you have trouble expressing your emotions…but don't be afraid to tell me to leave or tell me off…" Tell her to leave? She couldn't be his Mate, a Mate wouldn't just leave if they were asked to, they couldn't. "I'm a big girl, and an American, I can take it."

"Goodnight…" He whispered gently. She was just a good friend then…just a very important, good friend.

"Sleep tight. Sweet dreams." She smiled before she turned away and went to her bed as he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

**Much love! I'll see you when I have internet.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello, ninth Doctor! And I just realized that i should have warned you about Gene's potty mouth, but i never do. So this is me saying, she cusses a lot. **

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

**To the reviewers: **

** : Here's some nine for you. I really like ho he worked out with Gene... Thanks, I love Gene a lot too.**

**Arinlianette: She didn't mess anything up. If you recall, Rose hugged Gene when she first realize she was back... They knew Gene. The Doctor called her Gennie the first time they met, so it's all good. You'll notice that the 10th Doctor did a lot of pretending.**

**gogo2625: Thank you ever so much, my friend.**

**Skidney: Thank you much!**

**The Yoshinator: Heard that.**

**P.S. Anonymous, you should get an account...forgot to answer that part of your review.**

* * *

Dalek

Gene stood back against a Y beam, thinking that it was far too soon to be rushing in to help the Doctor pilot the TARDIS. He was very wary of her and she knew it. She scared him, even if he didn't want to admit it. She knew using the console the way she did just might make him throw her out.

It was her plan not to do anything…until the console sparked and the whole TARDIS shifted sideways. Gene ran forward and gently touched the controls.

"You can fly the TARDIS?" The Doctor asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I'm a bit of a genius…and you taught me a bit. I've been around the block a time or two." She said, looking at him worriedly.

"Do you know how hard this is to do by myself? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sorry? I thought it might freak you out…" Gene said before she turned to the controls again, working as hard as she could to get the flight steady. Suddenly the TARDIS stopped rocking and they landed smoothly.

"That was good thinking on your part…" The Doctor commented. "Almost as good as me."

"You taught me." Gene chuckled lightly. "I sort of ruined a year though when I was learning how to fly… It's full of glitches now, hardly anywhere you can land, sorry about that. Don't be too hard on me."

"Depends on how many glitches there are." The Doctor said with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's just say….it's bad… It's pretty dented up."

"He'll forgive you." Rose insisted. "He always does, right?"

"Do I?"

"If I say yes, will you?"

"I might not, just to mess with time."

"That's not nice." Gene stated. She'd been there a week and she already fit in. The Doctor was still very…standoffish…but Rose had warmed right up. They didn't treat her like she didn't belong.

"So what is it? What went wrong?" Rose wondered, looking around.

"Don't know. Some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course." The Doctor commented.

"Where are we?"

"Earth. Utah, North America. My backyard, so to speak." Gene stated before the Doctor could get it out. "About half a mile underground according to the air pressure." Gene said after opening the door enough to get a feel for the outside.

"She's good." Rose chuckled. "And when are we?" She wondered as they all stepped out of the TARDIS. Gene looked to the Doctor for that answer.

"You don't do dates?"

"No, not my area…though if I had to guess it's late two thousand and twelve. I'm not very good with times yet, I'm working on it. I get a little confused sometimes."

"Really? Seemed accurate to me..." He commented, looking into a glass display case through the dark.

"On Earth I'm very good, off of Earth… Like I said, I'm working on it."

"Two-thousand-twelve? God, that's so close. I'm twenty six out there."

"I _should_ be twenty four, somewhere out there."

"Should?"

"I'm twenty two right now." Gene stated simply.

"How's that possible? You were in two-thousand eight…that means you should be…nineteen."

"I spent a few years on the TARDIS… Just because you never move through time, doesn't mean time doesn't move you. I'm still aging. I'm going to be twenty-three in two-hundred-sixty-five days."

"You keep track?" Rose wondered.

"Easier to keep everything straight if you know where you are."

"How can you possibly keep up? I couldn't keep track."

"I'm a genius…that's all I can say. My mind is nothing but numbers." Gene said as the Doctor raised his sonic to turn on the lights. "Don't!" He lowered his sonic. "Just, use the switch, we don't know what a sonic might do in here." She reached out and flipped on the lights, making everything clear.

"Blimey. It's a great big museum."

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. They must have spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. That's the milometer from the Roswell spaceship." The Doctor commented.

"That's a bit of Slitheen! That's a Slitheen's arm. It's been stuffed." Rose said in awe.

"Oh my…" Gene whispered.

"Oh, look at you." The Doctor said looking at what Gene had spotted.

"What is it?"

"An old friend of mine. Well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old." He was surprised though that Gene knew what a Cyberman was.

"Not so old… I think you've just cursed yourself." Gene muttered.

"Is that where the signal's coming from?" Rose wondered.

"No, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help." The Doctor whispered. He reached out to touch the display case.

"Don't—" Gene warned, but he touched it and an alarm went off. Armed guards rushed into the room and stood in-between them and their TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose raised their hands, Gene folded hers over her chest.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A." Rose whispered to the Doctor.

"They better not." Gene said simply, fire burning underneath her tone. The Doctor looked at her with raised eyebrows. A very protective friend.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"What does it do?" Van Statten inquired.

"Well, you see the tubes on the side? It must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel." A British boy named Adam said.

"I really wouldn't hold it like that." The Doctor stated.

"Shut it." Goddard snapped.

"Really, though, that's wrong…" Gene commented with a small smile. The Doctor had shown that particular instrument on her birthday. He'd taken her to a musical museum the day after her birthday. No one at the museum had ever heard a violin played correctly, until after the Doctor had encouraged Gene to play in front of them. They had then allowed both of them to play whatever instruments they had wanted to.

"Is it dangerous?" Adam asked with wide eyes.

"No, it just looks really silly when you hold it wrong." Gene chuckled, reaching for it. All of the guns in the room clicked, ready to fire. "Really?" Gene asked in disbelief, taking the object from Van Statton. He raised his hand to keep the others from firing at her. Gene rolled her eyes.

"You just need to be—" Gene stroked the instrument with a single finger, a small smile on her face. "Delicate." The Doctor finished. He'd never seen a look of such contentment on anyone's face while being held at gunpoint. Gene was insane. She started playing several different notes in succession. Ave Maria…with harmonies.

"It's a musical instrument." Van Satten stated.

"And it's a long way from home." The Doctor commented, in awe that Gene could just pick up an instrument like that.

"Here, let me." Van Statten ordered. He took it and tried to mimic Gene, with ugly results.

"I did say delicate. It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision." The Doctor insisted. After a moment, a good note finally came out. "Very good. Quite the expert."

"As are you two." He tossed the instrument to the floor and Gene frowned. She liked that instrument. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"I'm Gene. And who are you?"

"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"The question is, how did you get in? Fifty three floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplices. You're quite a collector yourself, they are both rather pretty.

"I'm going to smack you if you keep talking about me like I'm not in the room." Rose snapped.

"She's English too! Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy. Got you a girlfriend." Statten stated.

"This is Mister Henry Van Statten."

"And who's he when he's at home?" Rose wondered.

"Mister Van Statten owns the internet."

"Don't be stupid. No one owns the internet."

"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?"

"So you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up." The Doctor stated.

"Hmm, that how trouble begins, you lock up things you don't understand." Gene commented, her eyes narrowed.

"And you both claim greater knowledge?"

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am." The Doctor said.

"And I know I'm smarter than most… Otherwise I wouldn't be considered a genius, would I?"

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me." The Doctor insisted.

_Us… _Gene corrected silently in her head.

"The cage contains my one living specimen."

"And what's that?" Gene asked in her no-nonsense tone.

"Like you don't know."

"Show me."

"Show us." Gene added.

"You want to see it?"

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone." Rose commented.

"Pheromones, lovely things…" Gene rolled her eyes.

"Goddard, inform the Cage we're heading down. You, English. Look after the blonde. Go and canoodle or spoon or whatever it is you British do. And you two, Doctor with no name and the girl with no last name, come and see my pet."

8DWDWDWDWDW8

The lights were off in the cage as the door slammed behind him. "That's never a good sign." The Doctor whispered gently. "Are you sure you want to be in here?"

"It's a sign of danger and adventure… I'm not leaving you here by yourself. You'd die." Gene said to him. How could she say such a thing to him? He'd always done just fine on his own. He _didn't_ need her. She turned and raised her voice. "Look, I'm sorry about this. Mister Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. We've come to help you. I'm Gene Cooper and this is the Doctor." A white light and a blue glow became visible.

"Oh no." Gene knew that shade of blue anywhere.

"Doc…tor?" A metallic voice called. A Dalek.

"Impossible." The Doctor said, stepping in front of Gene. "Stay behind me."

"I know a Dalek when I see one, Doctor. You standing in front of me won't save me." Gene commented, stepping up next to him.

"What? How?"

"_The_ Doctor?" The lights came on to reveal the Dalek in metal chains. "Exterminate! Exterminate!" The two of them ran to the door and banged on it.

"Let us out!" The Doctor shouted. Gene ran her sonic over the lock.

"Fuck, double deadlocked!" She swore. She was panicking, she was afraid.

"Exterminate! You are an enemy of the Daleks! You must be destroyed!" The Doctor grabbed Gene and forced her behind him, one last attempt to keep her safe. The gun arm moved slightly, but nothing happened.

"It's not working." Gene smiled as the Doctor laughed. "Brilliant!" Gene giggled lightly. _Another word he'll learn from me._

_"_ Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless! Look at you. The great space dustbin. How does it feel?"

"Keep back!" The Dalek shouted, but the Doctor moved very close, only an inch away.

"Doctor…" Gene warned gently.

"What for? What're you going to do to me? If you can't kill, then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you? You're nothing."

"What in the hell are you here for?" Gene asked, grabbing the Doctor's hand and pulling him back a foot. He let go of her hand and she frowned, when she grabbed his hand, he never let go.

"I am waiting for orders."

"What does that mean?" The Doctor wondered.

"I am a soldier. I was bred to receive orders."

"Well you're never going to get any. Not ever."

"I demand orders!"

"They're never going to come! Your race is dead! You all burnt, all of you. Ten million ships on fire. The entire Dalek race wiped out in one second."

"Doctor…" Gene warned again, he was straying into dangerous territory.

"You lie!"

"I watched it happen. I made it happen!"

"Doctor!" Gene hissed at him. He didn't even look at her. He didn't even ask her why she seemed angry, but she knew that he'd just told everyone else he was an alien.

"You destroyed us?"

"He had no choice…it was you or the universe, and you aren't worth the universe." Gene stated. The Doctor flashed her a look, how did she know that?

"And what of the Time Lords?"

"Dead. They burnt with you. The end of the last great Time War. Everyone lost."

"And the coward survived."

"Oh, and I caught your little signal. Help me. Poor little thing. But there's no one else coming 'cause there's no one else left."

"I am alone in the universe."

"Yep." The Doctor smiled.

"So are you. We are the same."

"We're not the same! I'm not… No, wait. Maybe we are. You're right. Yeah, okay. You've got a point."

"No! You're not the same, don't ever let anyone tell you that, least of all a Dalek. You have emotions. You feel. Even when you hide them I know you feel. You are nothing like a hateful Dalek, I would know, I've stared them down before and you are nothing like them."

_"This one is of great intelligence, she will be very useful." _Gene recalled the Dalek's taking her for experimentation back in Manhattan. They had been cruel.

"Yes I am, 'cause I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve. Exterminate." He said, pulling a lever that sent electricity through the Dalek.

"Have pity!" The Dalek called. Gene looked up at the Doctor and for the first time she felt like she didn't know him…not at all.

"Why should I? You never did."

"Help me!"

"Doctor!" Gene shouted as three men grabbed ahold of her, yanking her back.

"Touch that lever one more time and I'll have your pretty little friend killed." Van Statten stated. The Doctor thought about it.

_Thought about it._

It broke Gene's heart, but then she recalled… This Doctor was still broken, hurt by the war. He'd fixed her and she would damn well fix him. The Doctor raised his hands and guards pulled him back.

"I saved your life. Now talk to me. Goddamn it, talk to me!" Statten ordered as the electricity was shut off.

"You've got to destroy it!" The Doctor shouted as he was dragged out.

"It will kill everything, everyone!" Gene called as she too was pulled out of the room.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

They walked up to the elevator and Gene froze. "Can we not go up the elevator? I'd really rather take the stairs."

"We have to take the elevator." Statten said.

"Lightning strikes the same place twice… If we all die, it's not my fault." Gene said, getting onto the elevator and holding on tightly, sweat covering her forehead.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor wondered.

"Long story… I hate elevators. I almost died once…"

"So…the Dalek…"

"It must have fallen through time. The only survivor." The Doctor said sadly. Gene looked down…there were more.

"You talked about a war?" Goddard said as they got out of the elevator. Gene didn't like the amount of guards that were in the hallway.

"The Time War. The final battle between my people and the Dalek race."

"But you survived, too."

"Not by choice."

"This means that the Dalek isn't the only alien on Earth. Doctor, there's you. The only one of your kind in existence."

"No! Don't touch him!" Gene shouted as the guards converged on the Doctor. She took four of them down with her bare hands before someone grabbed her by her hair and snapped her head back against the wall, her body sagged and slid down. The Doctor looked at her worriedly as guards grabbed ahold of him. She'd moved so quickly, acted so fast. Why?

"I think you've got a girlfriend." Statten said. "Are you coming quietly or do we have to kill her?"

"I don't even know her." The Doctor said truthfully.

"Well then, someone's got a crush…though I think you're a bit too old for her." He said before he knocked the Doctor out.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor woke first, finding he was nearly completely nude except for his pants and he was chained down. Gene was in a similar situation only she was down to a dark blue bra and a pair of dark green boy-shorts. The Doctor looked away to spare her modesty as much as he could, but not before he noticed she was very beautiful.

"Mmm…." Gene hummed quietly, turning her head and opening her eyes.

"Wow, she can take a hit." Statten commented.

"Not the first time I've been knocked out." Gene said sarcastically. "Won't be the last." She blinked a few times before the man came close to her, running his fingers down her side. The Doctor couldn't put a reason to it, but he didn't want him to touch her. It made him furious. No one was supposed to touch her.

"Prettiest specimen I've ever had." His eyes roamed her body with obvious pleasure. His hands started to wander further down.

It felt wrong.

So wrong.

"Don't you fucking touch me you fucking bastard!" Gene shouted moving as far away from his touch as she could.

"Ooh, I like the feisty ones…"

"Untie me you ass!"

"If you're human I might just keep you like this… You'd be fun to play with."

"Over my dead body."

"Don't be like that sugar…" He lifted his hand to stroke her cheek and she bit him, hard, leaving his hand bleeding. "Oh you bitch!" He slapped her across the face. He pulled back and started a laser scanner on her. She didn't scream, but her body tensed and a little whimper of pain escaped her lips.

"Human…perfectly normal…but I do think I'll keep you… Strange." He whispered quietly. "You're name is Gene Cooper. It says here you're deceased."

"Isn't that a bummer? I was so excited to be alive." Gene rolled her eyes. "Records are only as good as the record keepers you jackass." The laser scanned her again, just to cause her more pain.

"Be nice." He said before turning to the Doctor. "Now, smile!" Gene hadn't screamed, so the Doctor hadn't thought that the pain had been too severe, but it was. He let out a yell in shock as it scanned him, his whole body tensing.

"Two hearts! Binary vascular system. Oh, I am so going to patent this."

"So that's your secret. You don't just collect this stuff, you scavenge it." The Doctor said.

"This technology has been falling to Earth for centuries. All it took was the right mind to use it properly. Oh, the advances I've made from alien junk. You have no idea, Doctor. Broadband? Roswell. Just last year my scientists cultivated bacteria from the Russian crater, and do you know what we found? The cure for the common cold. Kept it strictly within the laboratory of course. No need to get people excited. Why sell one cure when I can sell a thousand palliatives?"

"Do you know what a Dalek is, Van Statten?" Gene asked. "A Dalek is honest. It does what it was born to do for the survival of its species. That creature in your dungeon is better than you."

"In that case, I will be true to myself and continue."

"Listen to me! That thing downstairs is going to kill every last one of us!"

"Nothing can escape the Cage." He said hitting the Doctor with the laser again.

"But it's woken up. It knows I'm here. It's going to get out. Van Statten, I swear, no one on this base is safe. No one on this planet!" Statten hit Gene again, just to watch her back arch off of the table in pain.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"I repeat, this is not a drill!" The Comms shouted.

"Release me if you want to live." The Doctor insisted. Statten released him after a moment. The Doctor pointed to Gene. "Let her go."

"I thought you didn't even know her."

"Doesn't matter. I wouldn't leave my enemy with a Dalek, let alone a new friend." Statten released Gene and she punched him in the face.

"If we didn't have a Dalek on the loose, I'd make you pay." She said before she quickly got dressed, as did the Doctor.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"I'll go get Rose." Gene told the Doctor. "You figure out how to fix this." Gene said once they had gotten into the hallway.

"How will you know how to find her?"

"Trust me! For the first time in your life, just trust me for God's sake!" Gene shouted before she ran.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene ran down the staircase at top speed. She held out her sonic and it beeped loudly. Rose was near. "Stairs! That's more like it. It hasn't got legs. It's stuck!" Rose cheered from below. Gene kept running downwards.

"It's coming! Get up!" Another voice shouted.

"Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs." Adam cheered. Gene stopped a flight above them.

"Are you idiots?! Greatest killing machine in all of space and time and you think a set of stairs will stop it? Hurry up!" Gene shouted.

"Gene?" Rose asked.

"No, Mrs. Clause." Gene rolled her eyes.

"Now listen to me. I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate then I can guarantee that Mister van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong, but people have died, and that stops right now. The killing stops. Have you got that? I demand that you surrender. Is that clear?"

"Elevate."

"Oh my God." Rose stated with wide eye.

"Just run already!" Gene grabbed Rose and pushed her up the stairs.

"Adam, get her out of here."

"Come with us. You can't stop it." Gene insisted.

"Someone's got to try. Now get out! Don't look back. Just run."

"You brave idiot…" Gene whispered, grabbing Adam and Rose before she started to run up the stairs. Gene led them up into a large room where an army waited. "Hey! Idiots, run! You can't kill it."

"We don't need your opinion on warfare."

"Well, if you are going to stay here aim for the eyestalk, or you have no chance in hell."

"The Doctor's said the same, we don't need you to tell us how to fight miss, now you three need to get the hell out of here."

"God save your souls." Gene whispered, pulling Rose and Adam away as the Dalek zoomed in on Rose.

"It was looking at me." Rose said as the kept running.

"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us!" Adam said in a panicked voice.

"I know, but it was looking right at me." Rose said.

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing. It's looking all around."

"I don't know. It's like there's something inside, looking at me, like, like it knows me."

"There is something inside. And it knows you because you touched it. It should know all of us by now. It's hacked the internet."

"How can you be calm?!" Adam asked.

"What's his name?" Gene asked, coming to a halt.

"Adam." Rose answered.

"Alright, Adam. I'm in the process of trying to save you and get Rose out of here. I am faced with a Dalek and all I have is a sonic screwdriver, my brain, and a museum full of alien weapons that you've managed to bust up in some way. I don't have the time to fix them, and I've only got a limited amount of time before this place is locked down and we're trapped inside."

"Why would we be trapped inside?"

"That one Dalek can destroy our whole world, if it's us against the world I know who I would choose. That's what I'm up against Adam. I don't have time to panic, but I can shut off the emotions and work the problem. If you could cut out the panicking I would appreciate it. Any questions?"

"I like you." Rose smiled warmly.

"You'll like me more if we survive." Gene nodded. "Everyone got their breath?" She didn't give them time to answer. "Good, time to run again."

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"I shall speak only to the Doctor." The Dalek insisted through the screen.

"You're going to get rusty."

"I fed off the DNA of Rose Tyler. Extrapolating the biomass of a time traveler regenerated me."

"What's your next trick?"

"I have been searching for the Daleks."

"Yeah, I saw…you downloading the internet. What did you find?"

"I scanned your satellites and radio telescopes."

"And?"

"Nothing. Where shall I get my orders now?"

"You're just a soldier without commands."

"Then I shall follow the Primary Order, the Dalek instinct to destroy, to conquer."

"What for?" The Doctor asked. "What's the point? Don't you see it's all gone? Everything you were, everything you stood for."

"Then what should I do?"

"All right, then. If you want orders, follow this one. Kill yourself."

8DWDWDWDWDW8

Gene raced up the stairs next to Rose and Adam who had remained quite call throughout the ordeal, since Gene had yelled at him. Rose's phone rang and she answered it. "This isn't the best time."

_"Where are you_?" The Doctor asked urgently.

"Level forty nine."

_"You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level forty six."_ The Doctor insisted.

"Can't you stop them closing?" Rose asked, still running.

"He's closing them." Gene said simply.

_"I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Give me to Gene."_

"Gene?" Rose handed her the phone and kept running.

"_I don't know exactly who you are or how you know about the Daleks and I don't care right now. Get all three of you out."_

"I can do that. That's my specialty…back-up plans. There's a reason you keep me around. I'll get them out, I promise."

"_Good._ _Now for God's sake, run_."

"We're nearly there. Give us two seconds." Gene yelled through the phone as they ended up as they entered level 46.

"_We can't sustain the power. I'm sorry."_

"Don't be. It'll be fine. I told you to trust me, you need to start. I made a promise." Gene put the phone in her pocket as the door began to close. It was that moment she wished this Doctor knew her…would be able to tell that she was terrified and he would comfort her, but he wasn't him yet.

"Come on!" Adam shouted rolling under the bulkhead.

"Go!" Gene pushed Rose underneath the door, through the very small gap and Rose made it to the other side.

"Gene!" Rose shouted.

The door sealed.

Gene lifted the phone to her ear slowly. "_Rose, where are you? Rose, did you make it? Gene…?"_ Her name was an afterthought to him and it broke her heart.

"Rose is safe. She's fine." Gene assured him.

"_Where are you?" _The Doctor asked gently.

"I kept my promise. Rose is safe. Unfortunately, she needed a push… So I pushed her. And…I stayed behind. God, you told me not to do anything stupid…then I jump off a cliff and trap myself with a Dalek… Oh the look on your face… I wish I could see it. Well, not _your _face, but your face if you know what I mean." Gene chuckled weakly.

"_Gene?_"

"It's alright, I'm fine. I know you don't care so much right now. But this is when you tell me that you know I'm terrified and promise me that you'll come and get me."

_"Gene…_"

"You're not going to though." Gene wiped a tear out of her eye. "One day you'll trust me Doctor, one day you'll know me. I promise you will. Thank you for everything, and remember that if something bad happens, it wasn't your fault, alright? Don't try to stop me from coming back here either. What am I saying? Why am I getting all emotional? Scratch all of that. You'll get to know this me, alright? I'll be up there as soon as I've dealt with this Dalek. I still have a lot of life to live and one damn Dalek isn't going to stand in my way. So don't worry…even if I fail, hell, I had the time of my life… I actually lived. That's something to be proud of. I lived."

"_Gene…" _Gene hung up on him.

"Exterminate!"

"Go ahead. Kill me." Gene said.

"I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose."

"They're all dead because of you."

"They are dead because of us. Rose Tyler and I."

"And a bit of me too… I grabbed her hand earlier, because she looked scared. There's a bit of me in you too. Not a lot, mind you, but enough. Enough of what I need."

"You are Gene Cooper. You are impossible."

"Yeah, pretty much. Twenty-two in two-thousand-eight. That's a feat, for being someone born in eighty-eight." Gene smiled and waved.

"You have so much thought."

"I wasn't so different from you at one point. Well, I was more like a Cyberman to be honest. Not a single drop of emotion in me. The real question is; why haven't you killed me?"

"I feel…fear. Daleks do not fear!" the Dalek shot both sides of the door.

"Temper…" Gene commented. "Ever felt fear before?" Gene wondered. "Do you know what that means? You aren't even a Dalek anymore. If your kind were still alive and found you, they'd destroy you, because you're not one of them. You're so…what's the word? Human." Gene said with a smile.

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Yes it does."

"Lies! Lies!"

"Prove it then." Gene challenged.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Doctor, she's stuck in there because of me!" Rose stated with tears in her eyes. "She could be dead." The Doctor looked at the screen on the wall and saw a lone Dalek, gun aimed at Gene.

"Open the bulkhead or Gene dies."

"You're alive!" Rose beamed.

"Yeah, about that sentimental bullshit, I lied. Apparently I'm better than I thought I was. Can't get rid of me."

"I thought you were dead." The Doctor said. Why did he feel a pull at his hearts when Gene was in danger? What was so important about her?

"What can I say, I like back-up plans."

"Open the bulkhead!"

"Don't do it…" Gene stated simply, calm.

"What use are emotions if you will not show mercy to a woman you've befriended?"

"I'm telling you, give me five minutes and I can finish this. I'm a genius." Gene insisted.

"She gave her life for me Doctor… Please…?" Rose asked.

"It's me or the world, Doctor… I know what I'd choose. I'd choose it in a heartbeat."

"I've made that choice one too many times."

"You're an idiot." Gene hissed as the bulkhead door rose.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"You know, I really don't like elevators." Gene whispered to the Daleks.

"I can feel your fear of them."

"You haven't killed me yet." Gene commented, trying to keep herself from panicking.

"But why not? Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?"

"You're human." Gene whispered as he forced her out of the elevator. "You're living, and guess what… It hurts."

"What is living?"

"That's what I had to find out." Gene whispered quietly.

"What did you want?"

"Freedom. Freedom from my thoughts, my mind… Freedom from everything."

"I want freedom."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Get out of the way. Gene, get out of the way now!" The Doctor insisted, pointing his gun towards the Dalek behind Gene.

"No."

"That thing killed hundreds of people."

"It's not the one pointing the gun at me right now. Tell me, if this were a true Dalek, wouldn't you and I both be dead?"

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left. Now move!"

"I know—"

"You don't know anything—!"

"I know the stories!" Gene shouted. "I know about the Nightmare Child, the Moment, the Crucible, the Daleks… I know about the war Doctor, you told me. You told me the stories. You told me about the Final Sanction and how they destroyed the last good Time Lord, you're friend: Kaya. You told me about all of it. I'm not an idiot, I'm far from it."

"Why would I tell _you_ that?"

"We're friends. Friends talk. Friends break down some days and spill their guts, it happens." Gene said. "I can't remember how many times I broke down and leaned on you. I was there when you finally let go of it all, and you happened to tell me…nearly everything. I know you can't believe it right now. But trust me, if just for a moment." Gene smiled when the Doctor lowered his gun. He always listened to her for some odd reason. "Look at it, it just wanted to see the sun. It wanted freedom from all of the anger and hatred. So that's what I did. Rose and I…we made this Dalek human…he got a bit of both of us. Let him be for a moment."

"Why do we survive?" The Dalek asked weakly.

"I don't know."

"So you can learn to live." Gene said. "You're different. You're not a Dalek anymore. For this one moment you're human. I'm sorry it hurts."

"It does hurt…just like you hurt. Just like Rose hurts." The Dalek whispered.

"We hurt and we move on…but I don't think you will."

"Order me." The Dalek pleaded. "You understand how I feel. Give the order."

"I know what it's like to be nothing…to not live and then suddenly be alive. You must be terrified."

"I am." The Dalek agreed.

"Exterminate." Gene ordered in a simple voice. The Dalek closed its armor and rose into the air. A forcefield surrounded it before it imploded.

"Gene?"

"Yes?" She didn't even look at him.

"Is that why I keep you?" The Doctor asked. "You're so smart and so compassionate. You must make me better."

"I wasn't always this way. I learned from the best… That's why you keep me…because you need to fix me." Gene said before she walked away.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Gene!" Rose hugged her tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much! I can't believe you just did that from me."

"We're friends, Rose. That's what we do." Gene smiled and hugged her back.

"A little piece of home. Better than nothing." The Doctor tapped the TARDIS lovingly.

"Oh, she's a bit more than that." Gene smiled at the blue box.

"Is that the end of it, the Time War?" Rose wondered.

"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that?" The Doctor smiled gently.

"The Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too." Rose suggested. Gene's hand wandered to her back pocket where her watch rested, dormant.

"I'd know. In here." He said, tapping his head. "Feels like there's no one."

_That's because whoever's in this watch is really quiet… _Gene thought to herself.

"Well then, good thing I'm not going anywhere." Rose said, taking his arm. Gene's face hardened but she cleared it up quickly.

"Yeah." He smiled at Rose.

"And good thing Gene's watching out for us." Rose smiled, wrapping her other arm around her.

"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared. They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed." Adam said.

"About time too."

"I'll have to go back home."

"Better hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at fifteen hundred hours."

"Adam was saying that all his life he wanted to see the stars." Rose commented.

"Tell him to go and stand outside, then." Gene commented.

"He's all on his own, Doctor, and he did help."

"He left Gene down there."

"So did you."

"What're you talking about? We've got to leave." Adam stated.

"Plus, he's a bit pretty." The Doctor and Gene said in sync.

"I hadn't noticed." Rose smiled slightly.

"On your own head." The Doctor said, unlocking the TARDIS.

"It's not a good idea." Gene said before she followed the Doctor into the TARDIS.

"What're you doing? She said cement. She wasn't joking. We're going to get sealed in." Adam called. Rose smiled and followed Gene and the Doctor. "Doctor? What're you doing standing inside a box? Rose?" Adam looked around before he too stepped into the box.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Why were you so worried?" The Doctor asked after Rose had taken Adam off on a tour.

"Worried about what?"

"Me…when they found out I was an alien?"

"I know you're worth. One cell could power everything on this planet for ages, it would completely ruin the future of humankind if they would have found out. We couldn't have that. Besides, you're a pretty nice guy, I wouldn't want them to dissect you or something like that."

"I wouldn't want to be."

"So we're in agreement then." Gene smiled and then frowned. "Adam will be trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just warning you. He's going to get someone hurt. I can just tell by looking at him. He won't understand… Be careful." Gene shook her head sadly. "I'm going to go get some sleep. See you."

"Gene?" The Doctor called right when Gene had made it to the door.

"Yes?"

"Thank you…for today. You were very brave…and you saved my friend. I won't forget it."

"Thank you." Gene smiled before she left the room. The Doctor instantly turned to look at the screen above the console, pressing buttons.

_She can't be human…she just can't be. There has to be something…anything. _Suddenly Gene Cooper's file came up on the computer.

_Gene Louise Cooper, formerly Gene Louise Grey_

_Born: September 13, 1988_

_Death: (undefined) August 5, 2008_

_Marital status: Unknown_

_Accomplishments: Author, genius, highest recorded IQ, mother of time travel._

_Life: Born in Hope Hospital September 13, 1988. Orphaned. Adopted at age two…_

The Doctor stopped reading and searched for a birth certificate. She had one, even had a social security number, real parents, a real doctor, real nurses to witness her birth.

She was born. She hadn't just appeared. She hadn't dropped out of the sky.

She was human.

"How can she be human? Why would I tell all of that to a human?" The Doctor asked with wide eyes. He looked towards the door. Something wasn't adding up.

Gene Cooper was an anomaly and he needed to find out exactly what was wrong with her.

* * *

**I love her rant in the middle there...**

**i'm just waiting for the questions about the birth certificate from all of you. This is going to be fun.**

**Love to all of you.**


	19. Chapter 19

**I'll publish two chapters today for all of you!**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

**To the reviewers: **

**ShadowTeir: Well thank you very much! I am very surprised that this many people have read this and reviewed it! You all make me so happy.**

**The Inquirer: Hello! Glad you have a name now! :) I like it by the way. They have a few adventures before they are separated again...**

**1. It will make sense some point near...well...never mind. Let's just say Jack explains everything.**

**2. Gene's room was created the instant she stepped into the TARDIS. That moment when she asked the TARDIS where the Doctor was the TARDIS made it for Gene, knowing that Gene was right for the Doctor...ect.**

**3. Sorry...but it'll break your hearts. It's a while away though.**

**4. Right now (and I'm in season four in my writings) the only person who knows who Gene is, is me. The Doctor has his idea, the Master has his idea, I have my idea. I'll leave it there.**

**5. Does she? I don't know... She really doesn't want to right now.**

**... :) ...**

**1. Thank you very much.**

**2. I love 9 and Gene together. I love 10 and Gene, and 11 and Gene...they're just going to be gorgeous. **

**3. :)**

**5. He's a pig, I made him a pig. I needed someone to make the Doctor worry about Gene...in more than a life/death way. He needed to feel that he needed to protect her.**

**6. Read on... I actually added to this chapter to answer this question. She is tough, but she tries extra hard to make sure the Doctor doesn't notice she's in pain.**

**Thank you so much for another awesome review.**

**Guest: Thank you, dear.**

**The Yoshinator: Yes and no... We'll get there at the end of season three/beginning of four.**

**Arinlanette: No problem! Oh! Just wait for the Empty Child! Awesomeness.**

**I'msorrymylove: haha... Later.**

**Skidney: Thank you! :)**

* * *

The Long Game

"Tell me who you are!" the Editor demanded.

"I just said!" The Doctor and Gene protested at the same time. They looked at each other slowly. That happened a lot, they always seemed to be speaking in sync. All day long it had been happening. The Doctor had warmed up to Gene a lot since she had saved Rose. He wanted to know who she was, her knowledge still troubled him to no end.

"Yes, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us?... Time Lord." Gene, Rose, and the Doctor froze.

"What?"

"Oh yes… You are the last of the Time Lords… Traveling in your machine. With a little human girl from long ago…" He said glancing at Rose before he turned to Gene. "But who are you, my dear?"

"Someone who doesn't tell strangers about their life." Gene said with a small smile.

"Ooh, you're clever, you know where I'm getting my information from already… Just who are you pretty, with your friends and their time machine?"

"Someone's been telling you lies." The Doctor snapped. The last thing he wanted was the Editor to have the TARDIS.

"No…" Gene said in a calm voice. "Adam decided to get a chip. I told you to watch him. He's too greedy for this."

"What the hell's he done? They can read his mind now! He's telling them everything!"

"Everything in his head I now know." The Editor agreed with a smirk. "I've seen your TARDIS."

"You'll never get your hands on it! I'd die first!" The Doctor protested.

"Calm down, Doctor…" Gene whispered gently, soothingly.

"Die all you like, I've got the key."

"You and your boyfriends!" The Doctor snapped at Rose.

"Try to use the key." Gene said with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" The Editor asked.

"Use it, I dare you. It won't fit the lock."

"You're lying."

"If you knew who I was you'd know that I don't like to lie and rarely do… I'm usually about as serious as a heart attack actually." Gene nodded.

"What are you saying?"

"Take a braniac kid from long ago and show him new technology, and it's like Christmas. I was centuries ahead of my time, but I knew the danger of my knowledge. I knew to keep the things I learned a secret." She sighed. "So why would I allow someone I knew would get into trouble have a key to the TARDIS?" While she spoke she slipped her sonic out of her pocket and into her hand. A great feat of flexibility for being so tied up. "I switched out his key for a fake one, see what a free mind can do? Because you made a mistake putting humans in here… You can't stop them from thinking."

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm just a mad girl with a clever mind, I'm not the one you have to worry about." Alarms started to fill the room.

"Someone's disengaged the safety. Who's that?"

"It's Cathica." Rose smiled.

"She's thinking." The Doctor said with a smile. "She's using everything I told her about satellite five. The pipes, the filters, she's reversing it!"

"I'd say it's getting hot in here, but the melting ice sort of speaks volumes doesn't it?" Gene asked. "You've lost."

"Terminate! Burn out her mind!" Gene used his distraction to undo her manacles and she freed both Rose and the Doctor. Gene turned and punched the Editor in the face, sending him to the ground.

"I'll be the first to say that sometimes I wish I couldn't think, because that's all I ever do, but you make me sick. My name's Gene Cooper by the way, and based on the physics that I know all too well, your boss is going to explode. Goodbye." She turned, grabbed both the Doctor and Rose by the hand before she drug them out of the room quickly.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"You've got a bruise." Rose commented, pointing to Gene's cheek.

"He hit me pretty hard." Gene said with a shrug. "I've had worse."

"Are you super resilient to pain? Back at the museum you didn't scream…" The Doctor commented.

"I have a high pain tolerance, yes… It's quite high considering my gender, age, and species."

"Didn't it hurt, getting punched and getting zapped?" Rose wondered.

"Like hell." Gene shrugged. "My dad always told me to never let anyone else see me afraid though…so I try not to." Gene shrugged. _And I know that my Doctor hates to see me upset…I keep it to myself._

"You're braver than me."

"Perhaps not… Maybe I'm just stupid." Gene smiled. "Now…what are we going to do with Adam?"

"I have a great idea." The Doctor nodded.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"I can't believe he did that…" Rose whispered, staring into a random wall in the console room.

"People get greedy sometimes… I've done it." Gene sighed. "I did it when I figured out that there was an automated tuner for violins. I built one for myself."

"In fairness a tuner doesn't have the potential to destroy a universe." The Doctor said, defending her instantly. Gene's lips twitched towards a smile, the Doctors she knew were protective of her too.

"I'm just saying, it happens…and he was stupid…far too greedy. I could see it in him."

"Really? A violin tuner?" The Doctor asked curiously. "Of all the things in time and space…?"

"Bored…" Gene shrugged. "Actually… I think you brought me those plans as well…a gift."

"When do I get presents?" Rose teased.

"I'm just a nerd… I like to build things."

"It was pretty smart what you did back there, and with the Dalek before… You really are a genius." The Doctor complimented.

"You're just getting that now? Just kidding… I'm only highly logical is all." Gene blushed at the compliment in spite of her sarcastic tone.

The Doctor smiled at her blush. He had known her for exactly five weeks and already he could feel himself falling in love with her. He held her hand when they ran, he felt himself smiling more at her (his special secret smile), he found himself calling her fantastic at least five times a day.

Rose didn't notice.

Gene did.

"I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late Gene, you promised an early breakfast." Rose smiled at her.

"Alright, dear." She smiled in return. She liked Rose, the Rose who wasn't trying to keep her from the Doctor, that is. Rose left the room and Gene sighed, looking down at the tea in her hands.

"You really are fantastic." The Doctor agreed.

"Thanks." Gene smiled at him warmly as she stood up, placing her tea on the captain's chair.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked softly. He had to know and he knew that she knew something.

"Oh don't start this again… I thought you trusted me." Gene sighed heavily, turning to look at him.

"I do. You didn't let me finish…" The Doctor said, standing at his full height in front of her. He wasn't quite as tall as his next self, but he was taller than his eleventh version, dwarfing Gene. She hated it when he did this to her. When he looked down at her with those eyes, his eyes. He did it all the time. He could flash her the look that made armies run and she wouldn't move, but when he looked down at her like that. It felt like he was looking into her soul and it made her world shake. "Who are you to me?"

"A friend, a companion." Gene shrugged.

"I know you don't like to lie…but you're lying to me right now."

"I don't understand what you mean." She knew she was done for, her voice had cracked. He'd broken her. He'd broken past the lie. Easy to do…she was a terrible liar.

"Just answer the question, truthfully this time."

"I did!" She lied one more time. She was about to turn away when the Doctor spoke again.

"Why must you be so difficult?" The Doctor asked before he grabbed her by her waist and pulled her forward. He gave her a chance, a second to pull away, and when she didn't take it he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She was frozen for a moment, before she was on her toes, her arms flung around him, kissing him back. She'd missed this part of him…the part of him that cared about her…the part of him that loved her. A moment later they pulled apart, breathing heavily.

The Doctor's world was spinning faster than ever. His hearts were pounding out a quick beat. He felt a tingling sensation from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. He felt like he was on fire, but the burn felt so good. Her lips had tasted so sweet, he wanted more… She'd felt so right in his arms, he just wanted to hold her closer. She felt right… Very right.

"Now, was that so difficult?"

"What gave me away?" Gene wondered, still breathless.

"The way you look at me… The way you glared as Rose when she kissed my cheek… Your blushes when I compliment you… Your voice changes pitch when you talk to me… And you know things about me that I wouldn't tell just an ordinary friend. You had to be something special for me to tell you those secrets, like—"

"Like your experiences in the Time War, like Kaya."

"Exactly."

"I should have told you… I'm sorry."

"So what are we exactly…from when you come from?" The Doctor asked. He had an idea, he felt stupid that he'd missed it. The TARDIS loved her and placed her room just a foot from his.

"There isn't really a name for it… We never really talked about it." Gene said. She looked towards the door and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the door. It opened for her and they both sat in the doorway, looking into space. It was their place to talk…it always had been. "There isn't a name for it. We just are… We sort of always were. I just didn't realize it until later… We are just… The Doctor and Gene. We talk and kiss and tease and taunt and flirt and… I'd say boyfriend and girlfriend, but that is just so far off for us it isn't even funny. Boyfriend…you couldn't be that. It's like we met and we were. That's how it was. Maybe it's because you knew what we were before I met you, but I sort of doubt it…"

"How far…where you come from? Ummm…." The Doctor turned red and Gene looked at him curiously. She could get the other Doctor's to blush, but not this one.

"How far what?"

"Just…how close are we? Have we…slept together?"

"No…" Gene blushed and bit her lip, looking down. "Well, yes but, not really… We sleep in the same room every night and share a bed and all that, but….we didn't like….you know. You have nightmares and so did I…and we comfort each other and… Oh God that's embarrassing…" Gene buried her head in her hands. The Doctor felt bad for embarrassing her, but enjoyed her blush all the same.

"It's alright…" He said, gently ruffling her hair.

"I mean…there was this once, we were close, but didn't, because I was in the wrong time stream and you said it would have messed with previous events... That's what you said…but we still…do the kissing and flirting…and you know…" Gene turned a darker shade of red.

"I've never seen someone blush so much." The Doctor smiled. He'd never found anything like that so amusing before. He'd nearly slept with her once…but didn't because it messed with time lines… He knew what that meant. The young woman sitting next to him. That beautiful, sweet girl was his future Mate. She was his.

He had someone to love…

Someone loved him.

He never thought he would feel that…ever.

"Oh, stop it, please." She slapped his shoulder gently and covered her face. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry for teasing you."

"It's alright… I just… You know…"

"I do…" He smiled at her gently. "Have I told you about Time Lords-?"

"Yes…" Gene blushed again and looked down.

"I think you just let slip who my future Mate is." He smiled.

"In my defense you let it slip first." Gene defended herself with a warm smile. She leaned against his side. "I've missed you… It made me feel…so scared and upset when you looked at me that way… Like you didn't trust me. I felt like you didn't want me. I mean, you told me it would be hard to get your attention…that you were so, upset by the past that you wouldn't trust me or open up to me…but I didn't think that you would be so… I don't know, standoffish."

"I'm sorry I upset you."

"You didn't mean to. I understand." Gene said in an understanding tone.

"How did I get so lucky…?"

"I'm actually a bit of a burden… It's you that saved my life…it's you that made me who I am." Gene sighed. "I wasn't really alive when you found me. You brought me to life."

"I've known you for five weeks Gene and I know you well enough to know you could never be a burden." He whispered, kissing her temple gently. She blushed and leaned against his side, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I thought I would mess everything up coming back here. I was so afraid I was going to come back here and end up making you hate me, and then I thought you wouldn't come after me and that I'd end up—well… Never mind… I can't tell you that. But it's just that I never know what to expect when I end up falling back into you, I'm always so backwards and confused."

"You're perfect, backwards or not…" The Doctor promised. She slowly pulled away. "What is it?"

"I shouldn't be… God, you've known me for five weeks and I'm cuddling with you. Sorry… I know you have your trust issues and your personal space. God, I'm sorry. I'll just—" Gene started to stand up, but the Doctor pulled her into his side.

"It's alright… You need it, it's fine."

"But it's not what you need." Gene protested. "It's not what you want, and that's alright. I'm just glad you know."

"Gennie…it's alright…" He said in his most soothing voice, looking into her eyes. He was doing it again, that look. He was looking into her soul. Did he even know he was doing it? "It's alright. I…I don't mind so much when it's you."

"That doesn't make sense… You always seemed to pull away from me…I thought…"

"I didn't understand you, you scared me."

"As I should. I'm a scary lady." Gene teased.

"It's alright… Just, sit right here with me?" He asked and offered at the same time.

"You still have space issues?"

"Yes…"

"Then—"

"Help me get over them?" He requested gently.

"When you say it like that…" Gene smiled after a moment. She didn't lean against his side. She actually slid further away, putting three inches between them, as much allowed in the narrow doorway. She then held her hand out in mid-air right between them. "One small step for the Doctor?" She asked simply. He smiled gently and took her hand. He knew now he'd chosen a winner. He knew now she had to be his.

She _would _be his Mate.

No matter how badly she wanted something for herself, she still cared more about what he needed… He could feel himself starting to get that same pull.

It would take a while to break the hardened shell he'd put around his hearts, but he knew that if anyone could do it… She was sitting right next to him, swinging her feet in space, leaving stardust in her wake.

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	20. Chapter 20

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

Wake Up To You

The Doctor slowly opened his eyes and realized another reason why he'd fallen in love with Gene. She was sweet, kind, understanding, adventurous, outgoing, stubborn, smart as a whip, and a tad bit awkward. She was a comfort and easy to talk to. She was beautiful, even though she would never say so. She would call herself 'mildly attractive' based on the symmetrical scale of beauty. It didn't make sense to him, because he was very asymmetrical compared to her and she called him beautiful, several times.

She was persistent, but patient.

It took her a month to get him to open up to simple little touches without his muscles tightening. Every so often she'd run a hand through his hair at random, just to see how he'd react, with better results every time.

He'd been around her for several months, getting to know her better, and each day he found something new to love about her…like the previous week. He had been having a nightmare, full of the war and the pain of it all. Gene had come into his room and simply held onto him until he'd relaxed. He never woke up when she held him, but in the morning when he'd woken up, he found her lying next to him, her arms still wrapped around him as she slept silently, her stomach rising and falling gently.

Each and every day since she'd held him as he slept and not a single nightmare had found him.

She never asked questions…she knew he wasn't ready to talk about the war and she respected that. She was there, constant.

"Mmm…." The Doctor was brought back to the present by her soft little hum. She shifted slightly, moving towards him subconsciously. He smiled gently and kissed the top of her head. She sighed contentedly before she opened her eyes. "Morning…" She smiled slightly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Morning, Gennie." Gene giggled at that. "What is it?"

"Gennie. You called me that when I first met you. I thought you were being a bit too familiar with me, but really you weren't." Gene smiled at him warmly. He smiled back and kissed her cheek gently. "I'm always so backwards. It's like I'm catching on to all of your secret little jokes when I finally figure out what you were talking about. Like when you told me about how you knew I could cliff dive. Figured that one out pretty quick." Gene chuckled.

"You don't talk about us that often."

"That's because I'm scared to. I don't want to say something to you that will mess up what's already happened. No paradox's for this girl, thank you."

"You won't tell Rose either…"

"I have a very good reason for that." Gene frowned. She'd worked out why Rose never knew. If she told Rose, Rose would have had the chance to get over the shock of their relationship…she would have gotten over it, which meant she never would have been angry with Gene, which in turn meant that Gene would have been at the battle of Canery Warf. Gene calculated a large possibility that she would have died in that battle, not the best idea, plus it would have thrown everything into a huge paradox…not fun.

"I trust you…" The Doctor promised, seeing the small crease in-between her eyebrows that she got when she was thinking about time-related things. Nothing else gave her that little crease, not math, not science, just the workings of time that made that little crease show up. "Can you tell me some things… Things that won't change anything? How old were you when we met?"

"Seventeen…" Gene smiled gently.

"So young? I wasn't forward with you or—"

"No, you were really sweet… Didn't flirt or anything…God the restraint you had…have…will have? It's one of them." Gene shook her head. "And I'm almost always injured in some way when you find me…that's just how this works."

"Injured?"

"Eh, bruises, cuts, hypothermia…stuff like that." Gene smiled at him.

"Nothing major?"

"Well, one time…had you not grabbed me when you did… I would have been really hurt." Gene said with a shiver. "Maybe dead…probably dead…it wasn't a good situation." She bit her lip. "I was pretty messed up when you first found me. I wasn't the nicest person back then. It was you that made me human. You fixed me when I was broken."

"How?"

"You were just yourself—"

"No, how could you be broken?"

"When I met you…I hadn't known emotions for seven years…but I had so many of them bottled up in me… Every reaction I had was wrong in some way. I could see people dying and show nothing but curiosity instead of sorrow or pity. I didn't know what emotion was supposed to go with what situation. I was just…broken. There's no other way to say it. I wasn't even really alive. I was breathing and my heart was beating…but I didn't feel. I was a breathing computer, all facts and logic. You taught me a better way. I wouldn't be me without you."

"I wouldn't know how to smile without you. You've taught me how to live again." The Doctor smiled at her warmly, kissing her forehead.

"I guess we were both pretty messed up in our own ways weren't we?" Gene asked with a smile.

"Indeed." He nodded. She hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her, basking in her warmth.

Waking up to Gene was absolutely _fantastic_.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"She's just so stupid!" the Doctor ranted, holding onto Rose's TARDIS key. He was stomping off down a road, a little too fast for Gene to keep up without her jogging. Gene reached out and grabbed his arm, spinning him around.

"Hey! Calm down." She said, looking him in the eye. He started to turn away but she held him tighter. "Listen to the American for a second." She didn't know why she kept calling herself that, she'd mentioned it once a long time ago, but now she was using it all of the time. She sort of liked it. "Calm down… People have their weaknesses. We can't be perfect." Gene stated. She smiled when she'd felt him relax under her gaze. A six foot man calmed by a girl who was barely five-four. She didn't understand it, but she had that effect on people. She always had that.

"Why can't humans understand time like you do? Why can't they be more like you? You understand that there are rules, and you follow them."

"Not all of the time… I bend them a bit, I'm twenty-two now, when I get home they're—well Marie's—gonna be putting twenty candles on my cake."

"That's different, you can't help that."

"But I'm still far from—" A chill ran down her spine and she stopped, whirling around to look at everything around her cautiously.

"What is it?"

"Ever feel like you're being watched?" Gene wondered. The Doctor looked around and froze, sensing something that wasn't right. "Can we go back to the TARDIS? I don't like it out here. I'm scared… I'm not normally scared."

"Of course." He promised, wrapping a protective arm around her and walking with her quickly to the TARDIS. Gene turned her key in the door only to find that the box, was just a box. The inside was just as big as the outside.

"No…" Gene whispered, her eyes wide.

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing Gene's hand tightly as they both took off towards the church.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Rose! Get inside the church!" The Doctor shouted. A reaper flew at Rose and she took off towards the church as quickly as she could.

"Everyone get inside!" Gene ordered all of the wedding guests. Both Gene and the Doctor herded everyone inside. The reapers chased after Gene and the Doctor as they ran inside. One of the beasts managed to sink a claw into Gene's back before the two of them managed to close the doors.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked worriedly, cupping Gene's face in his hands, searching for injuries.

"It's just a scratch. Ripped a nice shirt though." Gene frowned looking down at her long-sleeved blue shirt. She always wore long-sleeved shirts when she could. When she couldn't, she'd designed perception filter bracelets that were just strong enough to hide her scars, but not strong enough to be noticed.

"They can't get in…" The Doctor said, still not convinced as he dropped his hands. "Old windows and doors. The older something is the safer it is." Gene's eyes widened and she took off for the other doors and windows, a step ahead of the Doctor. "Check all of the doors!" He called out to the others.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Just a scratch, huh?" The Doctor asked skeptically. He was gently dabbing Gene's scratch with anti-biotic ointment, courtesy of a rather cautious older woman who carried a first aid kit.

"It's fine. It doesn't even hurt." Gene commented.

"You could get an infection."

"Yeah, haven't got my chicken pox shot… Might get that. Sorry." Gene teased.

"Don't tease. I've got the cure for that though, just in case."

"Oh you fuss like an old lady." Gene said as the Doctor covered her cut in gauze and tape. They sat up straight a good five inches from each other in the pew. "This church won't last much longer." Gene said after a moment, looking at the walls, she knew the moment down to the second when the walls would fall, but knew not to tell anyone. "It's not _that_ old, even if it looks it. The architecture is wrong."

"I know." The Doctor agreed.

"They're after the old and complicated things in time aren't they?"

"Don't you even think about it."

"Just saying…good back-up plan."

"I've seen how well your plans work and you are never the back-up plan again." He said in a firm voice.

"It worked the last few times." Gene sighed quietly before she turned to the baby that she and the Doctor had been put in charge of. She'd turned all sorts of red when Jackie had told her it would be 'good practice for them'. Jackie was more perceptive than the Doctor had given her credit for.

It made his hearts beat double time when he watched Gene play and giggle with the baby Rose. He could tell, just by looking that she loved children. Would she want _his_ someday? The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

"I like her…she's so cute." Gene chuckled, tickling the baby gently. The baby Rose giggled and kicked her feet.

"You like kids?"

"Yeah…always have, even when I was younger. They were always so happy and carefree… It was so different from what I was, you know? I don't know. I've always had a soft spot." Gene smiled gently, not fully realizing what the Doctor was _really_ wondering. He didn't have to ask her his true question, he was sure he knew the answer. He knew now wasn't the time…that maybe it would be years, Gene was only twenty-two, still young by many standards. He wasn't ready to even take the step into Mating yet, it was such a very big step and he was scared, but he smiled knowing…someday… The Doctor turned to the infant Rose.

"Now Rose… You're not gonna bring about the end of the world are you? Are you?"

"I don't think she understands you." Gene giggled.

"I speak baby." The Doctor insisted.

"God, you know what? I've heard stranger. I actually believe you." Gene smiled as Rose joined him.

"Jackie gave her to me to look after, how times change." He said, his body had become stiff when Rose showed up.

"I'd better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken." Rose said, reaching for the baby. Gene and the Doctor both grabbed her by the hand to stop her.

"Don't touch the baby." The Doctor stated in a harsh voice.

"You're the same person, that's a paradox." Gene said as she let go of Rose. Her voice was calm, smooth. "One big shift in time will make those creatures stronger and we can't have that."

"Can't do anything right, can I?"

"Since you asked, no. So don't—"

"Doctor… Not now." Gene soothed, still the voice of reason in chaos. Rose didn't think anything of it when the tension in the Doctor's jaw went slack and he instantly relaxed. She'd seen Gene make madmen calm before, just by talking to them, she just had that way with people…a voice that was calming and controlled.

"What's the plan?" Rose asked after a moment.

"No idea…"

"If I knew this would happen…" Rose frowned.

"Just tell me that you're sorry." The Doctor requested.

"I am."

"Ooh hot! Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Gene winced and jumped out of her seat, reaching down the front of her shirt just as the Doctor jumped and reached into his pocket. Gene ripped her necklace off and through the burning hot TARDIS key onto the pew, glad to have it off of her bare skin just as the Doctor pulled his out, better able to handle the extreme temperature. They looked at each other and smiled.

There was their idea.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Oh for God's sake, it's the same Rose! Look!" Pete insisted, taking the baby from Jackie and handing her to Rose.

"Rose, no!" The Doctor grabbed for the infant, but it was too late, a reaper had appeared in the room. Everyone screamed in terror except for Gene, the Doctor, and Rose. "Get behind me!" The Doctor shouted. Pete took back Rose as the Doctor stepped in front of everyone, facing the reaper.

Gene knew what was coming. But it couldn't. The Doctor still had to meet her… If he didn't she'd not only blow a hole in the universe with all of the paradoxs but she'd never learn how to live. Living without him would rival death…and win.

"I'm the oldest thing in here." He told the reaper. As the reaper descended upon him, Gene stepped forward and shoved him out of the way, onto the floor. She knew it would take her willingly in his place. She had the watch in her pocket, that would satisfy it, and she was everso complicated. "Gene no!" The Doctor shouted. His shout fell on deaf ears as the reaper consumed her whole before hitting the TARDIS and disappearing with it. The key stopped glowing… "Gene…" The Doctor whispered with tears in his eyes.

Gene Cooper was gone.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

Pete ran out into the road and in front of the car. He fell to the ground and the vase in his hands broke. "Go to him, quickly." The Doctor warned Rose. She took off and the Doctor felt a warm hand in his. He turned quickly and beamed happily. It was his special smile, the one that almost no one ever saw. "Gene!" The Doctor threw his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"Hello to you too." Gene smiled, holding him tightly. He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes seriously.

"Don't you dare do that again."

"That look doesn't scare me…nope…see it too many times. Besides, no promises… I've already done some things like that in my past."

"Gene…" He glared at her.

"At least it worked." She shrugged.

"How did it work?" The Doctor wondered after a moment. "You aren't that old."

"But I am complicated and full of time travel distortion, stuff." Gene smiled, hoping he wouldn't ask too many questions. She didn't want him to know about the watch yet…too many paradoxs. Rose slowly walked up to them and hugged Gene tightly.

"I'm glad you're alright."

"I am too…" Gene nodded, hugging her back.

8DWDWDWDW8

Gene woke up when she felt the Doctor move next to her. She looked at him through the darkness and noticed his forehead was dewed with sweat. His body was twitching, nervous, scared. He was having a nightmare.

"Doctor?" Gene asked, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him gently. "Doctor?" His hands unconsciously gripped her wrists and held on tightly. "Doctor?" She called a little louder, his grip on her wrists was starting to hurt. "Doctor!" Gene shouted. He gasped and opened his eyes, his hands tightening on her wrists. _One more pound of pressure could snap my wrists. He needs to calm down._

"Gene?" He asked quietly, confused.

"I'm right here." She promised.

"Thank heavens…" He didn't move, he didn't let go.

"Can you loosen up a bit? You're hurting me." Gene said quietly.

"I'm sorry." He said, letting go of her instantly.

"What was it?"

"It was you…" He said, rubbing her darkening wrists gently. "You…someone had shot you. You were dying…in my arms. You kept saying that you were sorry…I don't know what…but you just kept crying and saying you were sorry… You just kept dying…" He said, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Don't let me lose you. Please… I can't."

"You won't, I promise." Gene swore, kissing his cheeks and gently stroking his hair. "I'm right here." The Doctor rolled her onto her back and rested his ear over her heart, listening as Gene held him tightly, rubbing gentle circles onto his back.

"I don't want there to be a morning where I don't wake up to you. Please…just don't leave me." That request broke Gene's heart.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… But I do have to leave at some point."

"Why? Why can't you just stay?"

"Because if I stay, you'll never come and find me…and then I'll never chase after you… We'd never meet."

"How long can I keep you?" He asked, pulling himself closer to her.

"A while longer yet, I won't leave until I have to."

"Promise."

"I'd never leave you unless I had to."

"I love you…" The Doctor whispered against her shirt. "God help me, I love you." It was the first time this version of the Doctor had ever said it. Gene smiled at that. She squeezed him tighter for a brief moment.

"I love you too, never forget it…"

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello! I'll get you a few chapters today! Sorry about all of the Alerts you guys are about to ****receive! But I have some major chapters for you!**

**To the Reviewers:**

**Arinlianette: I just want you to know I sort of freak out every time i type your name. It's like my brain keeps telling me I'm spelling it wrong. I love it though, just so you know. It just sounds so pretty, the way I pronounce it anyway, don't know if i say it right, but I'm done rambling now... Thank you ever so much for the review.**

**ShadowTeir: Thank you! It makes me happy that I've got people excited!**

**Gogo2625: I saw your name today and was instantly like 'Wake me up, before you go go..." Yeah...sorry about that. I'm in a funky mood today. My mind's all over the place. hank you for the review!**

**Skidney: You're a wonderfully awesome person!**

**The Inquirer: Yeah, so I've decided from now on I'm going to answer you reviews last so that i have a longer time to think about your question just because you ask so many! It's no problem though, i love long reviews! I'm glad i made you say awwwwww...**

**1. Thank you!**

**2. Yes, Gene will be leaving the building soon. You'll find out soon. I leave a lot of Gene/11 conversations off of the record for reasons that are later unraveled.**

**3. Nope! :) He hasn't the faintest idea, but as you know 11 knows about the watch so he finds out at some point. **

**4. When will we meet Ten? Spoilers...just like you said.**

**5. Birth certificate? Obviously a fake! I must have missed that one, sorry.**

**6. Yeah...I am happier with how it gets stolen from him.**

**Thank you so much for the review!**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

The Empty Child

"What's the emergency?" Gene asked walking into the console room, somehow managing to stay on her feet in spite of the rocking. "I _was_ trying to sleep."

"In day clothes?" Rose asked skeptically.

"Never dress for sleep when you go to bed, unless you're sure you're going to be able to sleep through the whole night."

"It's mauve." The Doctor answered.

"Mauve?" Rose asked.

"The universally recognized color for danger." Gene said, instantly walking up to the console.

"What happened to red?"

"That's just humans." Gene giggled turning to the screen.

"By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing." The Doctor chuckled.

"It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the TARDIS. Where it goes, we go." Gene smiled.

"Hacked in already?"

"Easy."

"And that's safe, is it?" Rose asked.

"Totally." The Doctor said just as Gene said: "No chance in hell." The TARDIS banged loudly and the three of them barely managed to stay on their feet.

"Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there. No, no, no, no!" The Doctor shouted.

"It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us." Gene said calmly, always in control.

"What exactly is this thing?" Rose asked, looking at it through the monitor.

"No idea." The Doctor smiled.

"Then why are we chasing it?"

"It's mauve and dangerous, and about thirty seconds from the center of London." The Doctor stated.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

The three of them stepped out into an alleyway. It was quiet and dark, sort of run-down as well. "Do you know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Earth?"

"Five days? Or is that just when we're out of milk?" Rose wondered.

"Of all the species in all the Universe and it has to come out of a cow." The Doctor shook his head. Gene started looking around. She felt like she was being watched. "Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

"Maybe a year with your track record…" Gene muttered.

"I'm not that bad."

"Wait and see." Gene sighed and stopped looking around, unable to find the source of her worries.

"A month? We were right behind it."

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place. We're bound to be a little bit out. Do you want to drive?"

"I would love to, maybe next time you should let me do _all_ of the driving." Gene teased.

"Yeah. How much is a little?"

"A bit."

"Is that exactly a bit?"

"Ish."

"Rose, with him, nothing's a bit, please try to remember that."

"What's the plan, then? Are you going to do a scan for alien tech or something?"

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm going to ask." The Doctor showed her his psychic paper.

"Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids."

"It's psychic paper. It tells you—"

"Whatever the holder wants you to see... You're going to have to work on that." Gene said, seeing a blank piece of paper.

"You don't see it?" Rose wondered.

"I've never been able to. I get brief glimpses sometimes, like bad TV reception. I just see through it for some reason, ever since I was seventeen and some man from Torchwood showed it to me." Gene shrugged.

"What do you see now?" The Doctor asked, turning the paper onto her. Gene stared at it, it was like trying to see around a perception filter.

"Doctor Gene Grey, Genetics Ex…pert." Gene finished slowly. "Sorry it goes blurry. How did you know my old name?"

"Looked it up."

"Wait, Gene Grey? Is that for real?" Rose asked with wide eyes.

"What do you mean? That was my old name." Gene shrugged.

"No, Gene Grey, like the X-Men? The superhero?"

"I never thought about that." Gene smiled.

"You've been learning how to see psychic paper?"

"Yeah… Like I said, I do things backwards." Gene smiled as they came to a door marked Deliveries Only.  
"So… Door, music, people. What do you think?" The Doctor wondered.

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech. Give me some Spock, for once. Would it kill you?" The Doctor rolled his eyes and opened the door with his sonic screwdriver.

"Are you sure about that t-shirt?" Gene wondered, looking at Rose's shirt.

"Too early to say. I'm taking it out for a spin."

"Come on if you're coming. It won't take a minute." The Doctor said as he and Gene went inside the club. A singer was on the stage, singing their heart out to the audience. Gene joined in.

"For nobody else gave me the thrill. When I have uphold silence still, it had to be you, wonderful you…"

"You know this one?"

"Classic." Gene smiled at him. "It had to be you…" He knew she was musically inclined, but he had never heard her sing before, she was amazing.

"Sorry about this then." The Doctor got up on stage and took the microphone.

"Excuse me. Excuse me. Could I have everybody's attention just for a mo? Be very quick. Hello! Might seem like a stupid question, but has anything fallen from the sky recently?" The Doctor asked. There was silence for a moment, and then everyone laughed.

"Doctor…" Gene said, seeing the poster on the wall. She'd known the architecture was close. Nineteen-forties, welcome to a world at war.

"Sorry, have I said something funny? It's just, there's this thing that I need to find. Would've fallen from the sky a couple of days ago." The air raid sirens go off and everyone started to leave very quickly.

"Doctor!" He continued to speak but looked at Gene who was pointing to a poster.

"Would've landed quite near here. With a very loud—"

"Quickly as you can, down to the shelter."

"Bang. Oh…why didn't you tell me?" The Doctor asked, looking at her.

"I tried, you just kept talking, you do that sometimes."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Come on." Gene said, leading him out into the street.

"Rose?" Nothing but a stray cat meowing in the street. "You know, one day, just one day, maybe, I'm going to meet someone who gets the whole don't wander off thing. Nine hundred years of phone box travel, it's the only thing left to surprise me. Do you wander off?"

"Sometimes." Gene nodded.

"Why don't you get it?"

"Because I don't want to." The Doctor shook his head as the TARDIS telephone rang. He and Gene looked at each other as he opened the small door.

"How can you be ringing? What's that about, ringing? What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?"

"Answer it, like a normal person." Gene supplied sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and got out his sonic screwdriver as a young lady entered the alleyway.

"Don't answer it. It's not for you."

"And how do you know that?"

"'Cos I do. And I'm telling you, don't answer it." She warned again.

"Well, if you know so much, tell me this. How can it be ringing? It's not even a real phone. It's not connected, it's not—" The girl was gone. Gene shrugged and the Doctor picked up the phone.

"Hello? Hello? This is the Doctor speaking. How may I help you?"

"Mummy? Mummy?" Gene leaned in so she could hear.

"Who is this? Who's speaking?"

"Are you my mummy?"

"Who is this?" The Doctor wondered.

"Mummy?"

"How did you ring here? This isn't a real phone. It's not wired up to anything."

"Mummy?" The line went dead. He hung up the phone and put it away before Gene started to knock on the door.

"Rose? Rose, are you in there?" Gene asked. "She's not there…" Gene turned and looked at the Doctor. "Something strange is going on and did you hear that young woman?"

"It's not for you… Then who's it for?" The Doctor smiled, loving where Gene was going.

"She's just down the alleyway, we can keep up."

"You bet."

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene and the Doctor managed to slip in around the table as a young boy spoke. "Oh, Nancy."

"Haven't seen you at one of these before." Nancy said to a boy as she carved the meat.

"He told me about it."

"Sleeping rough?"

"Yes, miss."

"All right, then. One slice each, and I want to see everyone chewing properly." She insisted in a stern tone. The children passed the plate down, taking a slice a piece.

"Thank you, miss."

"Thanks, miss."

"Thank you miss."

"Thanks, miss!" The Doctor called with a wide smile as he passed the plate to Gene.

"Yes, thank you very much." Gene agreed as all of the children panicked.

"It's all right. Everybody stay where you are!" Nancy said, calm and authoritative.

"Good here, innit? Who's got the salt?"

"Right here." Gene said handing it to him.

"Back in your seats. He shouldn't be here either." Nancy said.

"So what's the story?" Gene asked with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" A young boy asked.

"You're homeless, right? Living rough?"

"Why do you want to know that? Are you a copper?" A young boy wondered.

"Of course I'm not a copper. What's a copper going to do with you lot anyway? Arrest you for starving? I make it 1941. You lot shouldn't even be in London."

"You should've been evacuated to the country by now… Why are you still here?" Gene asked worriedly.

"I was evacuated. Sent me to a farm." A boy stated.

"So why'd you come back?" Gene asked worriedly.

"There was a man there…" The boy looked down.

"Yeah, same with Ernie. Two homes ago."

"Shut up." Ernie said. "It's better on the streets anyway. It's better food."

"Yeah. Nancy always gets the best food for us."

"So, that's what you do, is it, Nancy?" The Doctor wondered.

"What is?" Nancy wondered.

"As soon as the sirens go, you find a big fat family meal still warm on the table with everyone down in the air raid shelter and bingo! Feeding frenzy for the homeless kids of London Town. Puddings for all, as long as the bombs don't get you."

"Something wrong with that?"

"Wrong with it? It's brilliant. I'm not sure if it's Marxism in action or a West End musical." The Doctor said cheerfully.

"Why'd you follow me? What do you want? And why's she got a funny accent?"

"I'm the American. Came overseas to visit some friends."

"Great timing."

"I'm good at it." Gene agreed.

"I want to know how a phone that isn't a phone gets a phone call. You seem to be the one to ask."

"I did you a favor. I told you not to answer it, that's all I'm telling you."

"Great, thanks. And I want to find a blonde in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one. Anybody seen a girl like that?" Nancy stood up and took the Doctor's plate away.

"What have I done wrong?"

"You took two slices. No blondes, no flags. Anything else before the both of you leave?"

"Yeah, there is actually. Thanks for asking. Something I've been looking for. Would've fallen from the sky about a month ago, but not a bomb. Not the usual kind, anyway. Wouldn't have exploded. Probably would have just buried itself in the ground somewhere, and it would have looked something like this." The Doctor held up a sketch of the thing they were trying to find. There was a knock on the door that made everyone jump.

"Mummy? Are you in there, mummy?" The Doctor and Gene looked out of the window to see a boy in a gas mask. "Mummy?"

"Who was the last one in?" Nancy asked, sounding afraid.  
"Him." Ernie said.

"No, he came 'round the back. Who came in the front?"

"Me." A young boy said.

"Did you close the door?"

"Uh…."

"Did you close the door?" Nancy asked urgently.

"Mummy? Mummy? Mummy?" Nancy ran to the front door and locked it.

"Why did you do that? It's not easy being the only child left out in the cold, you know." Gene stated.

"I suppose you'd know." Nancy stated.

"I do actually, yes. I've been orphaned, twice."

"It's not exactly a child." Nancy stated in a worried voice.

"Mummy?"

"Right, everybody out. Across the back garden and under the fence. Now! Go! Move!" The children are running in an instant. Nancy turned to the youngest girl. "Come on, baby, we've got to go, all right? It's just like a game. Just like chasing. Take your coat, go on. Go!"

"Mummy? Mummy? Please let me in, mummy. Please let me in, mummy." The little boy asked, sticking his hand through the letter box. Gene was at the door in an instant, her hand itching to touch the poor boy's.

"Are you all right?" Gene asked worriedly, reaching to touch him.

"Please let me in." Nancy threw a glass dish from the table that shattered against the wall, making the boy pull back.

"You mustn't let him touch you!"

"What happens if he touches me?" Gene asked. "He's just a scared little boy."

"He'll make you like him."

"And what's he like?" The Doctor asked.

"I've got to go."

"Nancy, what's he like?" Gene asked, worried for the little boy.

"He's empty." The telephone rang. "It's him. He can make phones ring. He can. Just like with that police box you saw." The Doctor picked up the phone.

"Are you my mummy?" Nancy put the phone back on the hook and the radio in the dining room turned on.

"Mummy? Please let me in, mummy." A monkey with symbols started to make an awful racket. "Mummy, mummy, mummy."

"You stay if you want to." Nancy said before she left the house. The boy stuck his hand back through the letter box, there was a scar on the back of it.

"Mummy? Let me in please, mummy. Please let me in."

The Doctor turned to Gene and put a finger over his lips. _Stay silent._

_I will. _She nodded.

"Your mummy isn't here." The Doctor said.

"Are you my mummy?"

"No mummies here. Nobody here but us chickens. Well, this chicken..."

"I'm scared." The Doctor knelt down next to the letter box.

"Why are those other children frightened of you?"

"Please let me in, mummy. I'm scared of the bombs." The Doctor slowly stood up.

"Okay. I'm opening the door now." By the time the Doctor opened the door, the little boy was gone.

8DWDWDWDWDW

"The bomb's under that tarpaulin. They put the fence up overnight. See that building? The hospital." Nancy told the Doctor and Gene.

"What about it?" The Doctor wondered.

"That's where the doctor is. You should talk to him."

"For now, I'm more interested in getting in there." Gene said simply.

"Talk to the doctor first."

"Why?"

"Because then maybe you won't want to get inside."

"Where're you going?" Gene asked as Nancy started to leave.

"There was a lot of food in that house. I've got mouths to feed. Should be safe enough now."

"Can I ask you a question? Who did you lose?" Gene wondered, standing up.

"What?"

"The way you look after all those kids. It's because you lost somebody, isn't it? You're doing all this to make up for it." The Doctor agreed.

"My little brother. Jamie. One night I went out looking for food. Same night that thing fell. I told him not to follow me, I told him it was dangerous, but he just. He just didn't like being on his own…"

"What happened?"

"In the middle of an air raid? What do you think happened?" She asked, hurt and sarcastic.

"Amazing." Gene said simply.

"What is?"

"1941. Right now, not very far from here, the German war machine is rolling up the map of Europe. Country after country, falling like dominoes. Nothing can stop it. Nothing."

"Until one, tiny, damp little island says no. No. Not here. A mouse in front of a lion. You're amazing, the lot of you. Don't know what you do to Hitler, but you frighten the hell out of me. Off you go then do what you've got to do. Save the world." The Doctor smiled at her as she walked away.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Conclusions?" Doctor Constantine asked as the Doctor scanned a patient with his screwdriver.

"Massive head trauma, mostly to the left side. Partial collapse of the chest cavity, mostly to the right. There's some scarring on the back of the hand and the gas mask seems to be fused to the flesh, but I can't see any burns."

"Examine another one." Gene scanned the next body quickly.

"This isn't possible." Gene whispered, shaking her hand.

"Examine another."

"This isn't possible." The Doctor said again.

"No." Constantine said.

"They've all got the same injuries." Gene and the Doctor said in sync.

"Yes."

"Exactly the same." The Doctor said in awe.

"Yes." Constantine nodded.

"Identical, all of them, right down to the scar on the back of the hand." Gene said, noticing that there was a scar on the back of Constantine's hand as well.

"How did this happen? How did it start?"

"When that bomb dropped, there was just one victim." Constantine explained.

"Dead?" Gene wondered.

"At first. His injuries were truly dreadful. By the following morning, every doctor and nurse who had treated him, who had touched him, had those exact same injuries. By the morning after that, every patient in the same ward, the exact same injuries. Within a week, the entire hospital. Physical injuries as plague. Can you explain that? What would you say was the cause of death?"

"The head trauma." Gene suggested.

"No."

"Asphyxiation." The Doctor wondered.

"No."

"The collapse of the chest cavity, surely." The Doctor insisted.

"No."

"Oh…" Gene said with wide eyes.

"All right. What was the cause of death?" The Doctor asked, still clueless.

"There wasn't a cause of death." Gene said, looking up at the Doctor. "They're not dead." Constantine hit a basket with his cane and all of the patients sat up in their beds.

"It's all right. They're harmless. They just sort of sit there. No heartbeat, no life signs of any kind. They just don't die."

"And they've just been left here? Nobody's doing anything?" The Doctor asked as they all lay back down on their beds.

"I try and make them comfortable. What else is there?"

"Just you? You're the only one here?"

"I'm sorry." Gene said gently, knowing what was going to happen. Constantine looked at her and smiled gently.

"You're a good young, lady…" He commented. "Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither. But I'm still a doctor."

"Yeah. I know the feeling." The Doctor sighed. Gene grabbed him and pulled him back a step.

"I suspect the plan is to blow up the hospital and blame it on a German bomb."

"Probably too late."

"No. There are isolated cases. Isolated cases breaking out all over London." He was bowing over, coughing hard. The Doctor moved forward.

"Don't! Stay back, stay back." Gene warned, pulling him back.

"The girl's right, she's known for a while. Listen to me. Top floor. Room eight oh two. That's where they took the first victim, the one from the crash site. And you must find Nancy again."

"Nancy?" Gene asked gently.

"It was her brother. She knows more than she's saying. She won't tell me, but she might—Mummy. Are you my mummy?" Constantine's face changed into a gas mask. The Doctor grabbed Gene and took a few steps back before they turned and left the room quickly.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Good evening. Hope we're not interrupt—"

"Jack? Captain Jack Harkness?" Gene asked with wide eyes.

"Hello…" He said with a flirtatious smile. Instantly the Doctor's jaw tightened, his whole body went rigid. How dare that man look at Gene like that?

"Are you a time traveler too? Why's Torchwood here?" Gene wondered. "Is Ian—oh…" Gene shook her head and looked down. "You don't know me, do you?"

"No, but I'd love to get to know you." Jack said with an award winning smile and a wink. The Doctor almost knocked his teeth out, but Gene beat him to it and slapped him across the face.

"Don't even think about it."

"American… I like the spit-fire attitude you've got there. You pack a _hell_ of a punch." He said, rubbing his red jawline. "I get it, you're off limits…" He glanced at the Doctor. "How do you know me?"

"I met you six years ago. You were with the Torchwood Institute."

"What's Torchwood?" Jack wondered, confused.

"Forget I said anything… You aren't who you will be yet. It happens a lot around me. I never meet anyone in the right order."

"You must be Gene Cooper and Mr. Spock. The little lady's right, I'm Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

"He knows. I had to tell him about us being Time Agents." Rose said with a small nod, obviously lying.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mister Spock." Jack said before he walked past them into the ward.

"Mister Spock?"

"What was I supposed to say? You don't have a name. Don't you ever get tired of Doctor? Doctor who?"

"Oh I love it when they say that." Gene giggled. "Doctor who."

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time for a stroll."

"Who's strolling? I went by barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid." Rose beamed.

"What?!"

"Listen, what's a Chula warship?"

"Chula?"

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked seriously as Jack scanned another patient.

"What?"

"He said it was a warship. He stole it, parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's going to fall on it unless we make him an offer." Rose explained.

"What kind of warship?" Gene asked again, impatient.

"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this."

"Listen, this started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?" The Doctor asked urgently.

"An ambulance! Look." A hologram of the ship hovered over the vortex manipulator on Jack's wrist. "That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle, love the retro look, by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait—"

"Bait?" Rose wondered.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk." Jack explained.

"You said it was a war ship." Rose said, confused.

"They have ambulances in wars. It was a con. I was conning you. That's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents. You're not, are you?"

"Just a couple more freelancers."

"Oh. Should have known. The way you guys are blending in with the local color. I mean, Hot Flag Girl was bad enough, and so was the American Girl Doll, but U-Boat Captain? Anyway, whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship." Jack said.

"You really did change…" Gene commented. The Jack she had met was something entirely different.

"What is happening here, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot."

"What do you mean?" Gene inquired.

"I don't know. Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things. But why? What's the point?" Suddenly all of the patients sat up.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy? Mummy?" They all asked.

"What's happening?" Rose asked, afraid.

"I don't know." The Doctor shook his head. All of the patients stood up and began to converge on the four of them.

"Mummy."

"Don't let them touch you." Gene warned as they backed up into a wall.

"What happens if they touch us?" Rose asked.

"You're looking at it." The Doctor said, standing in front of Gene and Rose.

"Help me, mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy."

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello! I'll get you a few chapters today! Sorry about all of the Alerts you guys are about to ****receive! But I have some major chapters for you!**

**To the Reviewers:**

**gogo2625: Here's an update for you.**

**The Yoshinator: Here's your answer. It's alright! I understand. It's summer! It's a busy time of the year.**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

The Doctor Dances

"Mummy? Mmmmummy?" The gas mask people called. Everything swirled quickly in Gene's mind. What did parents do when children were out of hand?

"Go to your room!" Gene shouted. All of them went still. The Doctor looked at Gene and smiled.

"Go to your room. We mean it. I'm very, very angry with you. I am very, very cross. Go to your room!" The Doctor ordered them. The patients hung their heads and walked away gloomily, going to their beds.

"Thanks…I don't really know what British mothers shout when they're angry…aside from bloody hell, or is that an American stereotype?" Gene smiled up at the Doctor.

"I'm really glad that worked. Those would have been terrible last words." The Doctor teased before he elbowed Gene. "Good thinking."

"I'm a genius." Gene sighed in relief. The Doctor turned to her, knowing that she'd just been terrified.

"Hey, it's alright. You're fine now." He promised, gently touching her hand.

"It's hard to stay calm sometimes."

"You don't always have to be." Rose commented.

"Someone has to keep a level head."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Have you got a blaster?" The Doctor called to Jack as both he and Gene stood in front of a metal door.

"Sure!" Jack nodded, joining them.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken." Gene said.

"What happened?" Rose wondered.

"Let's find out. Get it open." The Doctor ordered. Gene looked at him strangely, she had a sonic that would work…and so did he. He gave her a look that clearly said: _wait, it'll make sense._

_"_What's wrong with your sonic screwdriver?" Rose asked.

"Nothing." The Doctor shrugged. Jack used his blaster to disintegrate the lock. "Sonic blaster, fifty first century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?"

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked.

"Once."

"Well, they gone now, destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot." Jack said, upset.

"Like I said. Once. There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good." The Doctor smiled and stepped past him.

"Destroyed weapons." Gene commented quietly. "Nice job."

"Thanks." The Doctor winked at her and handed her a banana.

"No problem…" She winked back, understanding exactly what the Doctor wanted. She went over to stand by Jack, seemingly being helpful.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will do. It's got the power of a god…" The Doctor stated. "And we just sent it to its room."

"Doctor... Gene, translate please?"

"I'm here. Can't you see me?"

"What's that noise?" Rose wondered, the tapping noise was bothering her.

"End of the tape. It ran out about thirty seconds ago." Gene said in a very calm voice…too calm. That meant she was scared, truly scared.

"I'm here, now. Can't you see me?"

"We sent it to its room. This is its room." The Doctor said with wide eyes.

"Are you my mummy? Mummy?"

"Doctor?"

"Okay, on my signal make for the door." Jack said.

"Mummy?" the child asked. Jack pulled out his blaster, only to be holding a banana.

"Now!"

"Smooth." Gene smiled. "I've still got it." She said smugly. "Who says old dogs can't learn new tricks."

"You're not old, but how did you get that?" Jack wondered as Gene pulled Jack's blaster out from between her jeans and the small of her back and made a square hole in the wall.

"Mummy…"

"Very carefully, with a little bit of a girlish giggle." Gene smiled.

"Outsmarted by a girlish giggle… I should have known. It's always he cute ones." Jack shook his head. The Doctor glared at Jack and grabbed Gene

"Go now! Don't drop the banana!" The Doctor called.

"Why not?!"

"Good source of potassium!" Gene and the Doctor yelled as they ran.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Okay. One, we've got to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?" The Doctor asked, pacing back and forth in the small room.

"Yeah. Jack just disappeared." Gene commented.

"Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?" Rose asked with an exasperated huff.

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted."

"I mean, men." Rose corrected.

"Okay, thanks, that really helped." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry Rose, the real keepers will find a way to come back for you." Gene said, thinking of the Doctor and how he always came after her. The radio suddenly turned on.

"Rose? Gene? Doctor? Can you hear me? I'm back on my ship." Jack called through the speaker. "Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you. It's security-keyed to my molecular structure."

"Well fix it. It's easy. Just a reprograming job." Gene shrugged.

"I'm working on it. Hang in there."

"How're you speaking to us?" The Doctor wondered.

"Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grill."

"Now there's a coincidence." The Doctor stated slowly.

"What is?"

"The child can Om-Com, too." Gene said after a moment.

"He can?" Rose asked.

"Anything with a speaker grill. Even the TARDIS phone."

"What, you mean the child can phone us?"

"And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to find you." The child called.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"What you doing?" Rose asked the Doctor, who was standing at the barred window with his sonic.

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars." The Doctor commented.

"Need an extra hand?" Gene wondered.

"I'm fine Gennie." He promised, still working on it. Gene sighed and sat down on a table.

"You don't think he's coming back, do you?" Rose inquired.

"Wouldn't bet my life."

"I wouldn't…not yet. Wrong time." Gene commented.

"Why don't you two trust him?"

"Why do you?" The Doctor asked.

"He saved my life. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing. I trust him because he's like you. Except with dating and dancing." The Doctor looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You just assume I'm…"

"What?" Rose asked again.

"You just assume that I don't dance."

"What, are you telling me you do dance?"

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume at some point I've danced." The Doctor said simply. Gene knew that the Doctor could dance. The Doctor had danced with her at her house when he'd came to visit her. He had turned on a very specific song and promised her that she'd understand someday. It was a very sweet song, and it got even sweeter when he'd held her close and sang in her ear. He had even dipped her at the end, kissing her. Gene shook her head, pulling herself out of the memory quickly.

"You?" Rose asked with a skeptical expression.

"Problem?"

"Doesn't the universe implode or something if you dance?" Rose wondered.

"Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast." The Doctor shrugged, returning to his work. Rose got up and turned the volume up on the radio.

"You've got the moves? Show me your moves." Rose dared him. The Doctor's eyes flashed to Gene, who was looking down at the floor.

She didn't care if he danced with her…as long as he saved the twirling, dipping, and kissing for her… But he didn't know that.

"Rose, I'm trying to resonate concrete." The Doctor defended.

"Jack will be back. He'll get us out. So come on. The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances." Rose said, holding out her hands. The Doctor looked down and his eyebrows pulled together.

"Barrage balloon?"

"What?"

"You were hanging from a barrage balloon." Gene translated.

"Oh, yeah. About two minutes after you left me. Thousands of feet above London, middle of a German air-raid, Union Jack all over my chest."

"I've travelled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy friendly."

"Sorry! I've got the record still, hate to break it to you." Gene called with a laugh.

"Doesn't count if it hasn't happened." Rose teased back.

"It has for me." Gene smiled.

"Is this you dancing?" Rose asked exasperatedly. "Because I've got notes."

"Hanging from a rope thousands feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise."

"Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed me up." Rose shrugged.

"Oh, we're calling him Captain Jack now, are we?" The Doctor rolled his eyes. Onto the next guy for Rose.

"Well, his name's Jack and he's a Captain."

"He's not really a Captain, Rose."

"Do you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain envy. You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them."

"Um, guys?" Gene wondered.

"If ever he was a Captain, he's been defrocked."

"Yeah? Shame I missed that."

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock. Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet." Gene's face went sour for a moment. Jack noticed. "Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security."

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is." The Doctor advised.

"Oh, I do. She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes." Jack winked.

"This is a Chula ship."

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only this one is dangerous." Jack shrugged. The Doctor snapped his fingers and a golden light covered his hands.

"They're what fixed my hands up Jack called them er…"

"Nanobots? Nanogenes."

"Nanogenes?" Gene asked with wide eyes.

_"You stayed with me for a long while, until we had that row with the nanogenes… You had to leave after that. You said that you were meant to go back into your own time after that…"_

_"Why?"_

_"Things got bad after that, Gene… You had to leave…or else I could have lost you. I was hurt…but when I realized what was going to happen, I was glad you were safe back in your own time."_

"Nanogenes, yeah." Rose nodded. Gene frowned, she knew she'd have to leave soon. She didn't want to leave.

"Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws. Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk." The Doctor ordered.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"It wasn't empty, Captain. There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species." The Doctor told him.

"Oh, God."

"Getting it now, are we? When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night, and wearing a gasmask." Gene explained simply.

"And they brought him back to life? They can do that?" Rose asked with wide eyes.

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem, though. These nanogenes, they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do. They patch it up. Can't tell what's gasmask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done. Because, you see, now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and nothing in the world can stop it!"

"Doctor…calm down. Shouting won't help."

"It felt good though." The Doctor huffed.

"I didn't know." Jack said, repentant.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy." Nancy defended Jamie.

"I know. There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can."

"I wish I could… Just see my parents again." Gene frowned. "I can imagine how much willpower this kid has… It's scary."

"So what're we going to do?" Rose asked.

"I don't know."

"It's my fault." Nancy stated, tears running down her face.

"No." The Doctor soothed.

"It is. It's all my fault." Nancy cried.

"How can it be your—?"

"You're finally there, Doctor…" Gene whispered.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy." They were upset.

"You're older than you look, Nancy." Gene commented. "Twenty? Twenty-one?"

"Doctor, that bomb. We've got seconds."

"You can teleport us out." Rose said.

"Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Going to take too long to override the protocols." Jack stated.

"So it's volcano day. Do what you've got to do." The Doctor told him. Jack disappeared with Rose calling after him.

"Jamie's about five isn't he?" Gene asked, looking at the little boy. "How old were you? Fifteen? Sixteen? Oh god…a single mother in 1941… You had no choice but to hide… To lie. And you did. Even to him."

"Are you my mummy?"

"He's going to keep asking, Nancy. He's never going to stop." Gene whispered. "I've lost parents… I'd do anything to have their love and affection, their protection when I was scared, especially when I was Jamie's age. He's just going to keep asking."

"Mummy?"

"Trust me and tell him." Gene said, gently touching Nancy's shoulder. Nancy nodded and slowly walked forward, towards Jamie.

"Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"Yes. Yes, I am your mummy."

"Mummy?"

"I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes." Nancy promised.

"Are you my mummy?"

"He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left." The Doctor whispered.

"The darkest hour's just before dawn. Watch." Gene said, grabbing the Doctor and Rose's hands. "Wait."

"I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry." Nancy broke down and wrapped her arms around Jamie, tightly.

"What's happening? Doctor, it's changing her, we should—" Rose tried to pull forward and Gene pulled her back.

"Shush! Come on, please. Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out." The Doctor smiled, hopeful.

"What's happening?" Rose wondered.

"See? Recognising the same DNA." Gene let go of the Doctor and Rose as Nancy fell to the ground. "Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one." The Doctor pleaded, stepping forward and removing Jamie's gas mask. "Ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years till pop music - you're going to love it."

Tears fell down Gene's face. The day had been saved…the people were safe…but she had to leave. This would be the end.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor landed the TARDIS inside Jack's spaceship and then he turned on some music. He turned and looked at Gene, a silent question. She smiled gently. "Nothing too close." She said softly. The Doctor nodded and walked over to Rose, holding his hands out.

"May I have this dance?" The Doctor asked in a taunting tone. Rose took his hands and they danced. The door opened and Jack ran inside.

"Close the door, will you? Your ship's about to blow up. There's going to be a bit of a draft." Gene called, leaning over the rail. Jack shut the door as the Doctor sent the TARDIS off.

"Welcome to the TARDIS." Gene smiled.

"Much bigger on the inside." Jack said with wide eyes.

"You'd better be." The Doctor stated.

"I think he is." Gene said, looking at Jack. "He just doesn't know it yet."

"I think what the Doctor's trying to say is you may cut in." Rose said, holding out her hands to Jack. He took them and started to dance with her. The Doctor walked up to Gene and held out his hands.

"May I have this dance, Gennie?" The Doctor asked with a small smile.

"Of course." Gene smiled and blushed before he pulled her close and began to dance with her.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"This ship is huge!" Jack said with wide eyes, after they'd all sat down, their dancing feet tired.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Gene said.

"I should give you the tour." Rose smiled. "It's humongous. There's a pool and a library and….wow, it's just huge!" She took his hand and led him down a corridor. "Breakfast tomorrow, Gene?"

"Maybe…" Gene called back. The pair of them left their sight and suddenly Gene felt arms around her waist. Gene grabbed the Doctor's hands just as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Can I ask for one more dance?" The Doctor wondered.

"I don't know… Can you?" She asked with a smile. He kissed her cheek and let her go as a new song started to play. Gene knew the song instantly.

"This song reminds me of you…" The Doctor whispered, taking her hands in his. He pulled her close and began to sing into her ear. "_Every time our eyes meet, this feeling inside me, is almost more than I can take…" _Gene pulled him closer and smiled. She understood now…this was their song, from the very beginning. They danced together as the Doctor kept singing into her ear softly. The song drew near the end and the Doctor twirled her around. _"Baby I'm amazed by…" _He dipped her down, holding her up with his knee as he wrapped his arms around her. _"You_…" He whispered into her ear before kissing her. Gene couldn't help it. She giggled. This Doctor was just as ridiculously romantic as the others. "What?" The Doctor asked, pulling her to her feet.

"Are you always this ridiculous?" She giggled.

"What are you talking about?"

"You, the hopeless romantic. Do you make it your job to try to make me feel like I'm stuck in some _really_ bad movie about star-crossed lovers?" Gene teased, holding his shoulders.

"Is it a sin to want to make you happy?"

"No…because I want to make you happy too…" Gene promised, kissing his cheek. "But really?! You're _so _sappy." Gene chuckled.

"Am I?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes, you are." Gene grinned. The Doctor grabbed her by the waist and swung her around.

"Then sappy I'll be." He promised before he set her down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I wouldn't have you any other way, you crazy, dramatic, stupid, handsome, hopelessly romantic man…" She promised when they broke apart.

"Stupid?" The Doctor asked.

"You're _my_ idiot." Gene promised, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a passionate kiss. His hands found her hips and he lifted her up so that he didn't have to bend so far to his her. Gene found herself against a y-beam a second later. They pulled apart for a second to breathe. "Ever noticed we end up here a lot?"

"I don't know… First time." The Doctor replied before he kissed her again. Gene broke away and began kissing him down the side of his neck.

"I like it here…make a mental note of it." She whispered into his ear.

"Yes, ma'am." The Doctor promised before claiming her lips again. He could have kissed her for forever. She was just so perfect. Everything about her was amazing.

"Dear God, it's huge—Oh…sorry. Am I interrupting?" Jack asked, entering the console room. The Doctor and Gene broke apart instantly. Gene's feet finally made it back to the floor.

"What?" Gene asked after clearing her throat. Attempting to calmly fix her messy hair.

"I was just coming to ask…if I could stay. Rose sent me this way…" Jack said. "Man I knew when you looked at me that you were protective over this one, but dang… Aren't you a bit old for her?" He teased lightly.

"He's joking, calm down." Gene smiled at the Doctor. "No, he's just the right age. Nine centuries is enough for me."

"What?" Jack asked with wide eyes.

"Still looking brilliant too." Gene complimented the Doctor.

"I take it Rose doesn't know." Jack stated.

"She can't…no one can…not for a while." Gene sighed.

"I don't understand."

"I confuse everyone. I'm from the future. I've come back into the Doctor's past…and telling Rose about us could..." Gene paused. "I have my reasons. I love Rose like a sister, but there are some things I cannot say."

"Because of what you already know about the future." Jack nodded.

"Yes… Please, don't say a word." Gene requested.

"I promise. I won't." Jack said. "You said you knew me..."

"I do…not very well, but well enough to know you aren't the man I met back then."

"Am I better?"

"I think you are." Gene nodded. "I'm going to bed." Gene commented. "Get some sleep you two."

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello! I'll get you a few chapters today! Sorry about all of the Alerts you guys are about to ****receive! But I have some major chapters for you!**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

The Last Time

Gene woke up the next morning next to the Doctor and frowned. She'd put off leaving him for three days. Who knew when they'd stumble upon an adventure that would ruin the future? She frowned, no more putting it off. Today was the day she had to leave. Gene got out of bed silently and walked to the adjoining door that led into her room. She quickly got dressed and headed for the kitchen. Rose had wanted breakfast…

In the kitchen there was an apron hanging up. It was different from the other ones. It was blue and said 'Kiss the cook.' on it in black letters. She shook her head at the TARDIS and put it on before she began to make breakfast.

8DWDWDWDW8

"Oh, my, God!" Rose squealed from the hall. "Wake up everyone! Gene's made breakfast!" Rose ran into the dining room and soon the Doctor and Jack followed her inside. Jack's jaw dropped at the amount of food on the table…and the smell. He was instantly hungry.

The Doctor smiled and slowly made his way to his seat. Jack gladly took a seat next to Rose. Gene walked in a moment later with a tray in her arms. "Tea for everyone." Gene smiled setting the tray on the table. She grabbed a blue mug and handed it to the Doctor. "For you." She grabbed a pink one and handed it to Rose. "For you, my dear." She picked up a white mug and handed it to Jack. "I hope you like it. I just made my usual for you." She smiled gently before she grabbed her own tea and sat down. Jack took a sip and his eyes rolled backwards.

"Am I alive right now? Am I awake?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've never had a drink so good before. You're not even British."

"Now, now, don't discriminate." Gene smiled at him. "Americans can make tea too."

"Wait till you get to the food." Rose said, already having dished up her plate. "You will probably have a food hangover by the time you're done. That's why I love it when she cooks."

"I like to call it a food coma…but that's just me. Food's simple, it's just chemistry." Gene smiled, dishing up her own plate. Jack took a bite and looked at Gene.

"Marry me?" He asked with wide eyes. He wasn't serious. In the few days he'd known her he'd come to view her as something between a doting mother and a little sister.

"Nope." She smiled back at him.

"Do you have a sister or brother, either will do?"

"I have both…one's three and the other's taken. Neither of them can cook."

"Damn." Jack frowned. "You got all of the good genes. Probably why you were named Gene."

"I was adopted."

"That explains it. No other way anyone so talented could have an untalented family." Jack said before he continued to wolf down the food.

8DWDWDWDW8

Gene got up from the table and started to pick up the dishes. She leaned down to grab Jack's plate and he kissed her cheek gently. "What was that for?"

"Kiss the cook…" Jack said, pointing to her apron. Gene chuckled and shook her head.

"This was the TARDIS' idea. She took my other apron." Gene said, moving to grab Rose's plate. Rose leaned forward and kissed Gene on the cheek.

"Thank you, Gene."

"You're welcome." Gene smiled before she moved to the Doctor's spot.

"You don't have to clean up too."

"I don't mind." She said back, grabbing his plate.

"Don't be a spoil-sport, Doctor." Rose stated.

"Alright…" He smiled. He stood up, took the plates from Gene and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "You're not cleaning table today." He said, pulling the plates from her.

"No… I've got it."

"Don't fight with her, Doctor. She'll win." Rose warned. "I've seen her talk down some pretty scary people, and face it, you aren't that scary."

"Yeah, so there." Gene teased. She started to walk away but the Doctor grabbed the back of her arms. Jack stood up and took the dishes from Gene before the Doctor picked Gene up. "Hey! Stop it! That's cheating!" Gene said, trying to wiggle out of his arms. Rose was laughing in the background, she'd never seen anyone manhandle Gene and remain standing. The Doctor managed to get Gene out of the door before closing it, leaving her outside. The door turned into a wall instantly.

"She's going to punch you later." Rose commented as a second door appeared.

"Yeah, probably."

"Be careful, she's got a killer right hook." Jack said, helping them clear off the table and take the dishes into the kitchen. The TARDIS had politely placed a door between the two rooms so they could work without Gene coming after them.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor stepped into the hallway and was shocked to find it empty. He was sure that Gene would be waiting outside, ready to punch both him and Jack. "The coast is clear." The Doctor called to Jack. The three of them stepped out into the hall and made their way into the console room. Gene was sitting in the captain's chair, leaning back, staring at the ceiling.

"Are we going to die?" Rose wondered carefully.

"No…I'm feeling rather, forgiving today…and it was thoughtful of you to clean up." Gene sighed. The Doctor and Rose looked at each other with wide eyes. Gene hated it when people went out of their way to do nice things for her. She didn't like being catered to.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked.

"I might still punch you later, but I'm fine right now." Gene smiled.

"Thank God… I didn't want to make you mad." Rose sighed. The Doctor looked at Gene worriedly.

_You alright?_

She looked down quickly, he knew what that meant. _Later…_

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Rose left the console room, headed for bed. She kissed Gene gently before she walked away, hugging the Doctor and kissing Jack's cheek as she left. "Doctor…"

"Is it later now?"

"Yeah…" She frowned.

"What is it?" He knew that tone, she was worried.

"I told you that I wouldn't go unless I had to…"

"Go?" Jack asked with wide eyes. "Where are you going, sweetheart?"

"No-where… I'm glad we've met, and you'll see me again, I promise, but right now I need you to leave." Jack looked between her and the Doctor before he nodded and left. Gene slowly turned around to face the Doctor, tears running down her face.

"That's what today was about…saying goodbye."

"I'm sorry…" Gene whimpered. The Doctor crossed the space between them and pulled her into a hug, tears of his own rolling down his face.

"Do you really have to go?" He asked, his voice breaking.

"Yes…" She cried into his shoulder, taking in his scent. She had no idea when she'd see the Doctor again, but she knew that this Doctor would never see her again.

"I don't want you to go."

"I have to." Gene pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. "But don't worry, you'll see me soon. I'll be broken and hurt and you'll fix me. I won't know you at first, but you didn't know me at first either. It will work out, I'd know, I've been there. You'll be fine…you'll see me soon." Gene promised, stroking his damp cheeks.

"I want to see you when I wake up tomorrow though…"

"I want to stay too." She said honestly, pressing a needing, sad, loving, devoted kiss against his lips. They broke apart and both of them sighed, resigned to their fate. They turned to pilot the TARDIS again and it took off with a whooshing noise. They looked at each other when it landed and pulled each other into a tight hug.

"How long?" The Doctor asked, his whole body shaking.

"Less than a year I think…"

"See you soon." He bit his lip as Gene walked to the door and opened it before she looked back at the Doctor.

_"The last time we spoke…when I was the ninth me, you were so upset. When you turned to look at me at the door, I knew what that meant… I'd be seeing you again, but this was the last time you'd ever see that version of me…"_

Gene ran back to him, managing to wrap her legs around his waist before she kissed him with all of the love, adoration, and passion she could muster. It seemed like hours before Gene's feet touched the floor and she slowly began to back up.

"You'll see me soon Doctor…my Doctor…" She smiled warmly at him before she stepped out of the TARDIS, back into 2008.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Gene?" Rose called walking into the console room. The Doctor and Jack were alone in the room. Jack looked tired…but the Doctor…he looked defeated, completely ruined. "Anyone know what Gene's up to? I can't find her anywhere."

"Gene's gone." Jack said.

"You lose her?" Rose wondered with a laugh.

"No…" Jack frowned. "Gene went back home."

"Why?" Rose asked with wide eyes.

"It's complicated…something to do with keeping timelines intact."

"She didn't even say goodbye to me…" Rose looked down, hurt, upset. She turned and left the room quickly.

"Don't worry Doctor…you'll find her again." The Doctor closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands.

The Doctor didn't know it, but in a long tan coat in the wardrobe, there was a secret pocket. In the secret pocket there was a little note in Gene's handwriting. A date, a place, and an exact time, down to the second. The location was an elevator in a hospital. Beneath the date, time and location were eight simple words.

_Save me, Doctor._

_All my love to you…_

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene stepped out into the snow and looked around. She spotted the payphone she'd been at and ran to it. She dialed the emergency number quickly. "_911 what's your emergency?"_

"Hello, it's Gene Cooper… Can I speak to Marie Parker? I know she's there."

"_She just hung up the phone with you a minute ago."_

"I know…sorry…misunderstanding."

"_One moment."_

_"Gene?"_

"You'll never believe what just happened."

_"Did he find you?"_

"He just met me…for the first time…aside from when he visited."

"_Really?"_

"Yeah… Sorry, had to let you know I was still alive."

_"I wasn't worried, it's been a minute and a half_." Marie teased. "_You sound like you're crying_."

"I am."

"_Need a ride home?"_

"I need to walk… Crying will do me good. I just wanted you to know… I'm alive." Gene stated before she hung up the phone. She put her head down and let the tears fall as she slowly walked back home.

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello! I'll get you a few chapters today! Sorry about all of the Alerts you guys are about to get!****  
**

**I love this chapter just so everyone knows!**

**Yugioh13: I love those episodes too...that was the main reason why i went back...and because her name's the 'Backwards American'... I had to do it. It's Amazed by Lonestar. I heard it in the car just before i wrote this chapter... It fit them. So i added it in.**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

Marie's Encounter

"I can't believe you're twenty-three." Marie stated, shaking her head.

"I turned twenty-three on the twentieth of May." Gene nodded.

"But you were born in September."

"Funny thing time." Gene shrugged. It was July, six months since she'd left the Doctor, five since she'd last seen a version of him. Every so often she'd find the green candle lit next to her bed, but they never seemed to actually meet. It upset her that they hadn't been able to talk. She missed him…just being around him, just talking.

"I don't know how much more of this my head can take before it explodes." Marie commented, rubbing her temples. She sighed and changed the subject to one less mind-bending. "Mom got checked out the other day… You were right. She's bi-polar. They say it is the after effects of birth."

"I know…" Gene nodded. "How's Cody?"

"He's fine, obsessed with aliens at the moment."

"That must be a treat for your mom." Gene chuckled.

"Oh, she absolutely hates it!" Marie giggled. "Don't worry, it'll be the dinosaur phase next."

"Could you imagine dinosaurs on a spaceship?" Gene wondered, having no idea why she mentioned it or how it popped into her head.

"That would make his day." Her radio went off and she froze, listening before she replied. She turned to Gene. "I've got to go to this. We have a reckless moped driver for some odd reason on the loose… Yay me." She said sarcastically. "Want to tag along?"

"I don't ride in cars."

"Just blue boxes in space."

"And time." Gene added.

"Hold onto my food for me, I'll be right back." Marie said, getting into her squad car and driving off. Two blocks away she found the man in question, who seemed to be either really drunk or entirely idiotic. She pulled him over and realized a second later that his moped was faulty. "Sir, you're missing some major parts to your vehicle…like the steering wheel, do you know that?"

"Damn…" the man in a funny looking bow-tie said in a British accent. "I was sure I followed the instructions… I just thought it was one of those leaning bikes, you know?" He turned to Marie, took off his helmet, smoothed his hair, and smiled. "Mind if I have a ride." Marie didn't like the way he was talking. He sounded slightly mad and she knew just how quickly a mad person could go from sweet to violent in one word. "Ooh, you're Officer Parker. I've heard wonderful things about you. Lovely to finally meet you…well lovely for you to finally meet me… Well, that doesn't sound half-mad does it? Does it?" He asked, standing up, the moped falling inertly to the ground. "Hello."

"Get into the car, sir." Marie said gently, holding the door open for him. "I can take you home."

"Ooh…I was a bit off wasn't I?" He said as he got into the back seat of her car and she closed the door behind him, getting in for herself. "It is nice to see you again though." He said with a smile. "It's been a while since the last family reunion. I was kicked out…for some reason… It had nothing to do with the exploding cake I brought." He said with a small blush. "How was I supposed to know someone would try to eat it?"

"Have you been drinking tonight, sir?"

"No, the Missus told me no more banana daiquiris until next year… I don't like it when she's cross with me, so I swore off the drink. Last time we…well I ended up getting talked into marrying the queen."

"Okay sir…" Marie said as she pulled up to the curb and walked over to the bench where Gene sat. "I've got to go…this one needs a psych evaluation." Marie said as Gene looked over at the car. A huge smile filled Gene's face and she stood up, the food forgotten on the bench.

"I'll take care of him."

"I can't let you—" Marie started, but Gene had already made it to the door.

"Honey, I'm home." The man said in a cheery voice.

"And why have you been arrested?" Gene asked, folding her arms over her chest. He frowned instantly, he knew that tone.

"Well… I was just—"

"What have you done this time?"

"Gene!" Marie grabbed her arm and started to pull her back.

"Well, I was just telling Marie here that it wasn't good to make the Missus angry, yet I somehow seem to keep doing it." He sighed heavily as he got out of the car. "Sorry, honey." He apologized to Gene.

"Missus?" Marie asked with wide eyes, letting go of Gene. The man held out his hand to her.

"Hello, this is your first time meeting me, but I'm the Doctor, and she's the Missus… Well, I say that, but technically she's not married yet. I'm married, lovely woman; it was a beautiful wedding, nice reception too." He said, winking at Gene.

"You're the Doctor?" Marie asked with wide eyes.

"Yes I am, and if I've been paying attention correctly, by the look on your face you need a hug don't you?" He asked Gene.

"Please." She nodded in agreement. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and rocked her back and forth. "I missed you." She whispered, clinging onto him.

"I'm meeting you in reverse…where are we?"

"I've left the old you."

"Oh… I'm so sorry." He sighed, holding her tighter.

"Do I ever see him again?" Gene wondered.

"Afraid not… But…he got to die knowing he was loved though…that was a good thing. One of the best deaths I've had. It was easy almost."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there…when you changed." She said, her face buried in his neck.

"Couldn't have been helped, my love." He promised, kissing her cheek. "Clever thing you did with that note in my coat. That was very clever. You've no idea how much I smiled when I found out I was coming to get you."

"Thanks, but you're distracting me." Gene pulled away to look him in the eyes. "Why _did _you get arrested?"

"Knew I'd get Marie's attention. You left me a note…well, when I say you…"

"Very subtle… I can't imagine I came up with that idea."

"You didn't, I tweaked a few things."

"Wait…so he's THE Doctor, the one you're always off with?" Marie asked, trying to catch up.

"Yes I am. Glad to see you again as well."

"Again?"

"Time travel, isn't it lovely?"

"Makes me feel like I've got a massive headache." Marie said, sitting on the bench. Gene turned to the Doctor with wide eyes.

"Can you stay?"

"A slumber party with you? How could I ever say no? It's a date." He promised, kissing her cheek.

"I'm sorry… I know how you hate staying in one place."

"For you I'd never move again if you asked. I'll cook anything you want…not pears…never pears. Yuck."

"I don't like pears anyway." Gene smiled. "Too gritty."

"Terrible for you as well, never eat pears. I was actually thinking about fish fingers and custard."

"Oh Doctor…" Gene sighed, shaking her head.

"It's delicious! Trust me." He smiled before he hoisted her up into his arms.

"Whoa, warn a girl." Gene teased lightly as she wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Sorry to run out on you so quickly, Marie, but Gene's always my top priority… Have a wonderful day." He turned around to walk away but then stopped and turned back. "Oh, and if you see the license plate number 6DLAKE3 there are two abducted children in the back, do pull him over for the broken tail-light and have your sidearm at the ready. Bye." He said, carrying Gene towards her apartment.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Well?" The Doctor asked with wide eyes.

"Okay…they're actually not bad."

"Score one for the Doctor!" He cheered happily.

"How long can you stay?" Gene asked quietly as he refilled her glass with sparkling lemonade.

"Two days from now, in the afternoon I have to leave… Then…you won't see me…for a while."

"How long's a while?" Gene wondered.

"Oh a few weeks, I should think." He said simply.

"I'll miss you."

"Then let's make the best of the time we have, alright?"

"Yeah." She smiled, happy in an instant.

"Up for a cuddle and Star Wars?"

"With you? Always."

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello! I'll get you a few chapters today! Sorry about all of the Alerts you guys are about to get!****  
**

**Alright, so I think you should all give two songs a listen:**

**Amazed, by Lonestar**

**The Last Night, by Skillet**

**Pretty much anything by Skillet is awesome to listen to during this story.**

**Also, I would love to thank everyone for all of their support throughout the duration of this story! You've made my confidence in my own writings grow.**

**To the Reviewer(s):**

**Arinlianette: Here's one last alert before i sign off tonight. Luckily, I have more for tomorrow!**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

The Last Night

Gene walked into her apartment and froze. There was smoke in the air. It burned her eyes and instantly made her throat and nose feel dry. She ran into the kitchen and saw the Doctor hovering over a burning oven mitt. "Doctor…" Gene coughed. Her lungs were burning but she still found humor in the floundering man who seemed to have no idea what to do with a fire. She walked to the sink and filled a glass with water before she poured it onto the fire. There was steam and a sizzling sound as the fire went out.

Gene coughed hard, her lungs hurt, her nose burned, her throat was far too dry.

"Oh…" the Doctor said slowly. "Water…good idea."

"What on earth have you been doing?" Gene said, coughing her lungs out. The Doctor moved to her side and rubbed her back gently.

"You had cake batter…and I wanted to bake it so that you didn't have to…and I left the oven mitt on the stove."

"Why did you have the stove on?" Gene asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"I was attempting dinner…you don't want it. It's not so good. You're a better cook than me. The cake's fine though. We can share the cake for dinner." He said with a sheepish smile. She couldn't stay mad at that. His hair was a mess and there was flower on his cheek. He'd been working so hard, just so she didn't have to.

"Good…we'll have cake…" She said gently, straightening his hair. She coughed into her arm and the Doctor rubbed her back. "Thanks for trying, dear." She smiled, kissing his cheek before she pulled away, coughing hard. "But seriously what was in that smoke? I can hardly breathe."

"Oven mitt." The Doctor lied. It was more than just an oven mitt. He knew it had to be, so he made it so. It just hurt him to know that he'd done it.

"You're never cooking again." Gene insisted.

"Alright, you make better food anyway." The Doctor sighed. "I just wanted you to have less work to do."

"It's appreciated." Gene said, going to the fridge to pull out a pitcher of water, filling a small glass and taking a drink, trying to bring moisture back to her dry throat. "It's been a long while… Why now?" Gene wondered, there was always a reason. She also knew the date: August 7th.

"I'm…saying goodbye for a while." He frowned.

"What?" Gene asked.

"This is the last night you'll spend alone." He said with a small smile. "I'll—well a younger version of me will be here in the morning…"

"I'll miss—"

"Don't…" The Doctor said, placing his hands on her hips and looking at her seriously. "You have all of the time in the universe to be with me. I'll still be here in time. He doesn't have forever Gene. He's not going last forever, Gene. Stay with him, love him. Don't miss a man you haven't met yet?" He pulled her into a tight hug and she hugged him back.

"Okay…" She said, he had a fair point. "Thank you…so much."

"For what?" The Doctor wondered.

"For coming after me…for making sure I wasn't alone."

"I'd never want you to be alone, my love." The Doctor said, holding her close. He kissed her forehead and whispered into her ear. "Do me a favor?"

"Anything…"

"Punch my other self in the face, hard." The Doctor whispered.

"I intend to."

"That's my girl." The Doctor chuckled, holding onto her tightly.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

Gene took the left over cake into the kitchen, returning to the living room with two bottles in her hand. The Doctor looked up from the sofa and his eyebrows pulled together. "Are you feeling ill?"

"I have a headache, aka the Advil and I won't be able to sleep, so that's what the allergy medicine's for. It'll help me sleep." Gene sighed.

_Blood thinner and a sleep agent…_ The Doctor thought to himself. _This is it… That's why. _The Doctor nodded. "I'll stay here with you, until you fall asleep." The Doctor promised.

"Thank you." She smiled at him, taking both of the pills quickly. She lay down on the couch and the Doctor lay down next to her, pulling down a blanket from the back and covering her in it. He kissed her forehead, temples, cheeks, eyelids, and lips gently, tender and sweet.

"I love you…"

"I love you too." Gene whispered back. The Doctor smiled and held onto her, until he felt her body go slack and her breaths even out.

"I love you." He whispered again before he kissed her cheek and gently got up. He turned and looked at the glass table, where a half empty glass of water sat. He sighed and ran his hand through Gene's hair, leaving everything just the way it was before he went back to the TARDIS.

* * *

**Oh! I almost forgot! **

**At 100 reviews I have two spoilers for you guys! Just so you know... :) It'll be just a little thanks for your support. I just hope you won't have issues with the spoilers. :o**

**Much love to all of you.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello! **

**Here's Ten!**

**I think I may give you some more chapters today, since i have internet for the time being.**

**I would like to thank all forty of you who have favorited my story and all 62 followers! Thank you ever so much. **

**To the Reviewers: **

**Arinlianette: **

**Ch 21-I'm glad to give them to you, weeks without proper internet gave me a lot of time to write.**

**Ch 22-Thank you for the compliment...though...about that Moffat thing... Should i go and hide from all of the angry citizens?**

**Ch 23-I love it when there is tears. A story's no good without a few tears.**

**Ch 24-Well, I wanted to show how her past self was bleeding through. She's predicted a few things in her life, she doesn't realize what she said until after it happens. Aka, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.**

**Ch 25-Soon...and they never really stop.**

**Angel of Randomosity: I think so too. :)**

**ShadowTeir: Here you go, another chapter to read.**

**Supernatural Believer: I am glad you're enjoying it! :D**

**Cynthia N: Thank you ever so much.**

**Gogo2625: Eleven remembered being Ten finding Gene, bleeding and hurt in the bathroom, so he may have accidentally spilled a chemical onto the mitt that when burned caused Gene's nose to dry out, thus make her more susceptible to bloody noses to keep the time line in check. Wibbly-wobbly, timey-whimey.**

**I'msorrymylove: He does sort of seem like a lonely angel doesn't he?**

**Sherlockian082994: Yup. That was the night she 'died'. **

**The Inquirer: Well, I wrote a lot when I didn't have internet... soooo...now that I have it, I'm going to use it!**

**1. I love bananas! Actually, funny coincidence... When I was a kid the only thing I would eat was bananas...and to this day I hate pears... I think...there may be something there.**

**2. Jack is a flirt! We'll see him again in a while. However, the part where Gene changes him comes much later. He changes her before she changes him. Gene's wibbly-wobbly, timey-whimey.**

**3. Ten's back... He's going to be punched...as he should be.**

**4. This chapter takes place on August 8th...the day of Gene's death. Marie will know what happened as you will see in the first few paragraphs.**

**5. The Tenth Doctor left her, he wouldn't forget where he left her... You'll see a bit of Eleven in him in this chapter, when it comes to piloting the TARDIS...and getting places on time. :/**

**6. Will she open the watch? I've already answered that question, but did you see the hints I put in there? ;) I know... I'm evil.**

**7. Who says she doesn't see Nine again? What if he just never saw her? Lol... I love messing with you. On the Nine note: Spoilers. On the other Doctor's note, she'll see other ones. Five will meet her briefly and she makes it her goal to make him blush. As for the other Doctor's I'm not sure yet. Twelve? Spoilers.**

**8. If Gene were to open the watch, I would give you glimpses into her life. Everyone is so sure they know who Gene is...I'm going to shake it up a bit (by a bit I mean a 9 on the Richter Scale). On the rest of your questions Spoilers.**

**9. Cody will be excited, very excited. Who wouldn't be? Big blue box and all...**

**10. Marie already knows about Gene being an alien (chapter 14). Cody doesn't know and I don't know when he'll find out. He's only a little boy.**

**You can keep asking questions... I love saying 'Spoilers' it makes me happy. Thank you ever so much for the review.**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

What?!

The Doctor landed the TARDIS in front of Gene's house and he stepped out. The sun told him it was nearly ten o'clock. He knew it wasn't quite visiting time, but he needed to see Gene. He'd made a mistake. He walked up to the front door and knocked. The door opened a few minutes later.

"Can I help you?" Mrs. Parker asked.

"Is Gene home?"

"It's ten in the morning…" Mrs. Parker said simply.

"I know, I'm sorry about that, but I really need to talk to Gene."

"Gene doesn't live here anymore." Mrs. Parker said, she almost sounded repentant.

"Where could I find her?" the Doctor asked. He needed to see her. A young woman walked to the door with a boy on her hip who looked like he was nearly three years old. The girl smiled at him as she pulled Mrs. Parker back by the shoulder.

"You're looking for Gene aren't you?" Marie asked, handing Cody to her mother.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You look desperate." Marie said, looking him up and down slowly.

"I am."

"She lives in Weeping Willow Apartments, down by the cliffs. Number 221, can't miss it. Don't bother calling ahead, she doesn't have a phone."

"Thank you, thank you so much." The Doctor said with a wise smile. He started to turn but Marie grabbed his arm. "Yes?"

"I have something to say to you before you go."

"That is?" Marie slapped him across the face, hard.

"You're an idiot."

"I deserved that."

"Mm-hmm." Marie nodded. "Don't you dare make her wait another second."

"I won't, I promise."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Gene? Gene, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—" The Doctor froze suddenly.

There was a bloodstain on the sofa, a large one.

The table in front of the couch was moved aside.

A glass had fallen off of it and shattered.

Pill bottles were on the floor.

There was blood on the shards of glass.

The scene played in the Doctor's head, a recreation to find the reason for the blood. Gene had been lying on her side on the couch and her nose had started bleeding, but she didn't notice. She'd kept sleeping due to the medicine she'd taken for…allergies. She had woken up though eventually and panicked when she felt the blood. She'd stumbled into the table, the glass shattered, she tripped and fell, cutting herself. The trail of blood in the carpet showed she'd managed to hobble away.

"Gene!" The Doctor screamed, running into the door. Laying on the bathroom floor was Gene, completely unconscious. Dried blood was caked below her nose. Shards of glass were both in her leg and on the floor. She'd clipped her femoral artery. She'd removed some of the glass and tried to tie a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, but she'd lost too much blood. She hadn't had the strength to tie it tight enough. She was pale…very pale.

Tears ran down the Doctor's face as he cupped hers in his hands. He could feel a pulse and sobbed once in relief. She was still alive. "I've got you, Gennie. I've got you." He promised, picking her up and rushing her to the TARDIS.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene slowly opened her eyes and moved her arm. She felt something strange and looked down. There was a tube with dark red liquid running into her arm, the other end was attached directly to someone else's arm. "No!" Gene shouted, panicked. She reached down to rip the tube out but a strong arm grabbed hers.

"Don't." The Doctor said.

"You can't. You can't give your blood to me. Your cells, they'd be vulnerable in me, we can't have that exposed to anyone else, it would ruin the future and—"

"Gene, stop…please, please just calm down, it'll be alright." He promised.

"But—"

"You've lost a lot of blood and I'm the only one who could donate, just stop, relax. It'll be fine."

"But—"

"No one will know you have Time Lord blood in you, it'll be fine. In a month or two it will be gone and no one will know the difference, relax." He whispered soothingly. "You're exhausted… I can see it. Please try to sleep. You need to gain your strength back."

"But…"

"Sh… I'll still be right here when you wake up…"

"Better be…" Gene whispered.

"Sleep…" He smiled and kissed her forehead.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Morning sunshine." The Doctor smiled down at Gene as soon as he saw her eyes open. It had been a full day since she'd been on the TARDIS and he was glad to see her awake again. She'd lost far too much blood.

"Morning." She smiled back at the Doctor. There were no tubes in her body, and she felt quite rejuvenated, she'd bet a million dollars that it was Time Lord blood kicking in. She could still feel blood caked all over on her skin and frowned.

"You scared me."

"Sorry." Gene frowned, taking his hand in hers. He hadn't aged a day. Still beautiful with his ruffled brown hair, suit, and converse. Gene sat up easily, but the Doctor kept his hands on her, to make sure she didn't fall over. "You look a bit pale."

"Donated quite a lot of blood recently, yeah." The Doctor nodded slowly. "You've cut your hair." He smiled, running his hands through it. "It looks good."

"I've slept on it for nearly twenty-four hours; it's hideous…but thanks for the compliment." Gene chuckled.

"Did you cut it after you left the hospital?"

"No…after I left the Parker's." Gene corrected.

"I'm sorry I left you…I was just scared…and stupid. I should have never left someone so precious behind. I was just so scared that I'd be the death of you. I didn't want to be that, never that. Martha and the TARDIS were furious… They're glad you're back though." He frowned and stroked her cheek. "I missed you… Nothing could compare to that, not even my fear… I turned around and came back three days after I'd—"

"Three days?!" Gene asked angrily.

"Well, yeah… I thought I would come back shortly after you woke up from that coma—"

"Three days? Only three _fucking _days for you?!"

"It's only been ten for you, I'm sorry…but—"

"IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS!" Gene snapped, punching him in the face. He had thought Marie had a good swing, but he knew he was going to bruise from Gene's punch. His face hurt, but his hearts ached far worse. "I turned twenty-three three months ago."

"What?"

"Two. Three." Gene said, her face red and angry. It was bad enough that he'd left her, but even worse that he'd only been gone for _three days_.

"What?"

"Exactly."

"What?!"

"Yes…and that's not the bad part. The bad part is that you were only gone for three days."

"I'm so sorry."

"As you should be…" Gene said quietly. He had tears in his eyes. Gene couldn't stay mad at that.

"How can I—?" Gene grabbed him by his tie and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.

"That's a start." Gene breathed into his ear before she stood up and wrapped her arms around him tightly, leaning against his chest. "I missed you."

"I missed you." He closed his eyes and sighed in relief.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

It was a week before the two of them had finally relaxed, everything forgiven…not forgotten, but completely forgiven. Gene had asked the Doctor to take her back, which had broken his hearts until she'd said it was only for her violin, otherwise things had been simple.

Gene walked into the console room and the Doctor turned to face her, a frown quickly filled his face. She was wearing a t-shirt, and her scarred forearms were bare.

"Shit…" Gene hissed, starting to turn away, but the Doctor grabbed her arms. She'd forgotten the perception filters.

"Gene…did you…? Who did this?" He knew the answer, he knew self-inflicted wounds when he saw them.

"I just..." Gene couldn't say it to him, he looked far too devastated.

"I'm never leaving you again you beautiful girl." He whispered, lifting her left arm to his lips. He kissed it tenderly and golden light ran across it, healing the wounds, erasing them. He gently lifted her other arm and did the very same thing. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid…"

"I'm sorry I caused you to hurt, honey." He cooed, pulling her close.

"If we didn't hurt we wouldn't be living." Gene whispered. "You knew…"

"Knew what?"

"All this time, since the very beginning. You knew we were going to be together." Gene stated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were so young…and you wouldn't have understood. I didn't want to make you feel like you had to love me. I wanted _you _to love me. Besides, who would believe someone who randomly came up and said 'Hey I know you from your future, we're going to be Mates someday, want to snog in my blue box?'"

"I didn't tell you about the scars, because you were so hurt and angry with yourself. I didn't need you to blame yourself for anything else. I did this to myself. You didn't do it."

"But I—"

"You're an egotistical ass if you finish that sentence. My logic got me into that hole, don't you dare think differently." The Doctor looked down. "I forgive you… You know I do, besides I had work to do while I was gone."

"You went back. See! I should have recognized the hair! But I was so used to it being long."

"Of course I did, how else would I be twenty-three? I had to have added months in somewhere. And how else would I know that you knew that we would be…Mates at some point? And what about my hair? Should I grow it out again? Do you like it?"

"Well you gave that secret away to me…" The Doctor smiled. "Wait…we're not Mates now…how would you have known? You couldn't have." Gene smiled at him.

"Some secrets I do have to keep."

"You've seen us. Older us, how much older us?"

"Doctor, you ask one more question about the future and I'll have to slap you."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Gene smiled. "So about my hair?"

"It's perfect no matter which way it's cut."

"That's the cop-out way. Which way do you prefer it?" Gene wondered.

"I love it short, because that's how it was when I met you…but I love it long because that's how it was when you fell in love with me… So…take your pick."

"You're not helping matters."

"At least I'm not complicated. You're the one who's always so backwards."

"You think I'm backwards." Gene scoffed before she started to walk out of the room.

"What? What's that supposed to mean? Gene? Gennie? Gene?!"

* * *

**Oh! I almost forgot! **

**At 100 reviews I have two spoilers for you guys! Just so you know... :) It'll be just a little thanks for your support. I just hope you won't have issues with the spoilers. :o**

**Much love to all of you.**


	27. Chapter 27

**101 REVIEWS! Whoo! (Spoilers contained in the end notes!)**

**Okay... So I called this chapter Blink...and it's in three parts...and you pretty much see nothing to do with Blink at all. I love being me.**

**I think I may give you some more chapters today, since i have internet for the time being.**

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**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

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Blink

Part I: Truth

"I'm glad you two've made up. You're all cute and cuddly again." Martha smiled at Gene.

"Thanks…" Gene smiled. "He said you were on my side."

"Oh, always. Better your side than his. He was being an idiot." Martha chuckled. Gene shook her head.

"He's _my_ idiot though."

"You're talking about me, right?" The Doctor asked, walking into the room.

"Yes, dear." Gene beamed. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into a kiss.

"Looking beautiful today, my love."

"Thank you." She said, blushing.

"You two are so cute." Martha smiled at them. "So what are we doing here?" Martha asked looking at the old house curiously. It looked like it should be haunted.

"I don't know." Gene shrugged. "The Doctor wouldn't tell me. That means it's going to fun…usually." Gene turned and began to look around the house. The Doctor grabbed her hand and stood with her. Martha wandered off in the other direction. "What are we doing here?" Gene whispered.

"Getting into trouble." The Doctor stated simply.

"This has to do with that girl, Sally Sparrow, doesn't it?"

"How do you know?"

"She said it was still in our future." Gene said. "Are you going to warn me?"

"Best not to." The Doctor stated as they walked up the stairs. A door slammed below.

"GENE! DOCTOR!" Martha screamed. Gene took off down the stairs. The Doctor sighed and ran after her.

"Martha?" Gene called forcing open a door. In the room, there was nothing except for a stone angel. "Martha?" Gene wondered, not looking away from the angel, she felt like she couldn't look away from it.

"She's not here."

"Where is she?" Gene asked.

"Nineteen-sixty-nine." The Doctor told her.

"How?"

"The angel…is a Weeping Angel… It feeds off of time energy, by sending people back in time. It will probably have a field day with you and I, we have so much of it."

"How?" Gene wondered.

"It touches you."

"It isn't moving."

"That's because you haven't blinked yet. They're quantum locked."

"They can't move while they're being observed." Gene nodded, not blinking.

"I didn't want you to know it was coming… I'm sorry." The Doctor whispered into her ear, standing right behind her. "You need to look away now."

"I can't now that you've told me what happens."

"You have to." The Doctor said.

"Why?"

"Because Sally said so, besides, Martha's all alone right now… And I know that there are three other angels in this house waiting to come after us. You can't watch them all."

"I can't not look." Gene stated.

"I'll help you."

"How can you—?" The Doctor grabbed Gene by the shoulders and pulled her into a kiss.

Gene's eyes closed.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Ouch…" Gene complained, rubbing her forehead.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked, gently running his fingers over her cheeks.

"Never do that to me again."

"I thought it was a lovely kiss myself." The Doctor teased.

"My head hurts and…" Gene's eyes widened. "Where's the TARDIS key?" Gene asked, panicked when she realized it wasn't around her neck.

"You'll get it back." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a folder. He pulled out her necklace and clipped it around her neck.

"How?"

"Courtesy of Sally Sparrow."

"I hate you."

"No you don't." The Doctor smiled back.

"Martha?" Gene called out.

"Over here." Martha sighed. Gene tried to stand up but stumbled and fell back down.

"Whoa, whoa…you stay right there young lady…take a few deep breaths. Time travel without a capsule, you're going to have a headache."

"You seem fine."

"I'm special. Time Lord." The Doctor winked at her before he went to check on Martha. Five minutes later all of them were on their feet and walking out onto the street. "England, London by the looks of it."

"Great…" Gene sighed. "How long are we going to be stuck here?"

"A while." The Doctor shrugged.

"We need a place to live…and money." Gene sighed, looking around seriously. "This will be new… I've never had a job before… I mean, I've lectured before and taught a few classes, but never a real job. That will be different."

"I can probably get a job in a shop." Martha said.

"I can—"

"No." Gene said instantly. "Bad idea. You will be staying at home where you won't blow anything up." The Doctor frowned at that.

"Where's home?" Martha wondered.

"We'll figure it out."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor had found a small flat downtown. It was really only meant for one person, but they made it work. It was comprised of three rooms: a small bathroom, a kitchen/dining room, and a living room. The living room had a couch, a small tv, a coffee table, and a twin bed tucked in the corner. It was small, but they made it work. Martha took the sofa while Gene and the Doctor shared the small mattress.

Martha had found a job in a little clothing store just a block away.

Gene hadn't found a job yet…

"Gene, you should get this." Martha said, holding up a pretty, white dress with dark blue flowers on it. "It's TARDIS blue, and it would bring out your eyes. And the Doctor will love it."

"Martha…I'm not going to have you buy me a dress. I'll buy myself clothes when I get the money."

"Gene." Martha frowned at her.

"I mean it… I'll get a job somewhere…it'll be fine."

"Excuse me…miss?" A very pregnant woman called out. Gene turned around and smiled at her.

"Hello…"

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation… You're looking for a job aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Gene nodded.

"Did you just move from America?"

"Yes…" Gene chuckled. "I'm the American in the bunch…looking for a job."

"See, I'm a teacher. I teach Calculus at a local school. Do you have any experience teaching?"

"Actually I do." Gene's eyes lit up.

"Really? Are you any good at maths?" She inquired.

"Very good." Gene promised. The woman's eyes narrowed and she reached into her purse, before pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil. She began to write like a mad woman across the paper.

"This is a problem we just worked out at a conference, could you tell me what it means?"

"You're mind's about to be blown." Martha chuckled as the woman handed Gene the paper. She tried to hand Gene the pencil but Gene shook her head.

"I don't need a pencil." Gene said, she read the problem and handed the paper back to the teacher. "You were attempting to rotate a square about the axis of a graph, creating a three dimensional image and trying to figure out what the volume of that shape was. It's seventy-four-point-eight-nine-seven-two-three units cubed." Gene said simply.

"That took us six hours." The teacher said with wide eyes. "How did you do that?"

"I like numbers." Gene shrugged.

"I'm going on maternity leave, tomorrow and I haven't got anyone lined up to teach my class. It's not the best money, since you'll be subbing, but I'd love to have someone as…amazing as you are in charge of my students." She wrote down a number on the back of the paper. "If you want to work, you can call that number, that's the school. Tell them Carry Keshner told you to call. They'll let you come and teach." She said, handing the paper back to Gene.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, dear." The woman said, walking away slowly.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Teaching?" The Doctor asked worriedly.

"Yeah, what's the problem with that?" Gene wondered.

"Hormonal teenaged boys." The Doctor answered sullenly.

"I taught before."

"I was three doors away before. I had to defend your honor the last time, don't you remember?"

"I defended myself quite well, I think. Besides, I've been lecturing for years…ever since I was twelve." Gene said, sitting on his lap.

"But, Gene…"

"Are you jealous?" Gene wondered.

"No—"

"Because there isn't a single man in all of time and space I'd rather be with than you." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and peppering kisses against his jaw.

"Yeah…but…"

"I'll punch any boy who comes too close to me." Gene promised. "I'd be just around the corner. You could have lunch with me every day and walk me home." Gene smiled.

"Okay…" The Doctor sighed. Gene kissed his cheek gently.

"Thank you, love."

8DWDWDWDW8

It had been three weeks in nineteen-sixty-nine. Gene had been teaching for a week and a half and had gone out and bought herself more appropriate clothes for the time period. She found herself wearing flowing, colorful dresses that fell to her knees. Professional, cute, and modest. The three of them seemed to fit into the new time easily.

Changes became apparent to the three of them rather quickly. The Doctor was much more protective of Gene, more touchy with her, always wanting to be closer to her. Gene was the very same, always needing to be closer to him, always feeling safer when she was around him, calmer, happier. They were more public, more affectionate. Three weeks and they'd already gone off on seven romantic date nights. Martha was terrified that one day she'd come home to Gene and the Doctor doing it in the living room, or anywhere really.

Gene, however, felt like someone had placed a weight in her stomach. She was standing in front of her third Calculus class on a Wednesday when she realized what it was.

She hadn't told the Doctor about the watch…

"Miss Cooper?" A young lady called from the back of the room.

"Yes?" Gene asked, straightening up.

"Are you alright? You've sort of gone pale, well green actually…" She said worriedly. The class had fallen in love with her…mainly the boys, but even the girls liked her teaching style and admired her genius.

"I'm okay…" Gene said, rubbing her head.

"I could…uh…take you to the nurse." One of the boys suggested.

"I'm fine." Gene stated quickly. "Work on the problem please." Gene said before she sat down at her desk. She slowly pulled the watch out of her pocket and set it on the desk, staring at it for a moment.

_"I was just hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me…"_

Gene blinked and slipped it back into her pocket. She was going to tell him. She had to. Class ended and she beat the students out of the room, headed for the lunch room. Standing at the doors was the Doctor waiting for her. Every female in the room had their eyes fixed on him… His eyes were only for Gene. She walked up to him and he pulled her into a hug.

"Are you alright?" He asked gently, he'd seen something troubling on her face. Fear.

"We need to talk." Gene stated, grabbing his hands.

"Sure, anything." He promised. He wrapped his arm around her waist and glared at all of the boys who were looking at her as they passed them. He led her outside and they made their way into a small park behind the school. The Doctor sat down on a bench and Gene followed suit. "What is it, my love?" The Doctor asked gently.

"I've been…keeping something from you, and I can't do it anymore." Gene whispered.

"What is it?" The Doctor inquired. Gene looked down and tears began to stream down her face.

"Promise me you won't be mad at me."

"You're alright aren't you? You aren't sick or… Please tell me you're alright."

"I'm fine…it's just…"

"Then whatever it is we'll get through it." The Doctor assured her. Gene cried and reached into her pocket, pulling out a fob watch. She placed it in the Doctor's hands and he stared at it blankly.

"I'm sorry… I found out when….when you became John Smith… You showed me your watch and I remembered… I remembered that I had one just like it." Gene looked down. "I just couldn't tell you… I was so afraid."

"This isn't possible." The Doctor stated.

"What do you mean?"

"I've looked you up. Ages ago I looked you up. You were impossible so I had to know. You were born here, Gene. I've seen your birth certificate. I saw the announcement in the papers. I saw your original parent's death certificates. If you were a Time Lady you would have dropped—"

"Out of the sky." Gene nodded. "They're forgeries." Gene said, looking down. "I know they are." _Trust the girl who lives backwards. _The next Doctor had told her that the documents had been forged. A way to protect her, from what she didn't know.

"Gene, maybe…"

"I've had that watch with me since I was placed on the orphanage step. I've had it with me my whole life and never paid it any attention."

"Maybe it wasn't meant for you. It's empty, anyway." The Doctor commented, moving to open it. Gene grabbed his hands.

"Don't!" No it's not empty… I've opened it, just for a brief second. Whoever's inside is sleeping…and she's who I used to be. It explains so much… I used to have dreams when I was a kid. Dreams about orange skies… Just little hints here and there." Gene said, looking down. "I have always been too smart… My mind simply isn't humanly possible, you've said it yourself. It explains why I always felt like my head moved to fast. Something must not have converted correctly…because I didn't turn out right…I'm too smart to be normal."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to but…"

"All I've ever told you was how terrible they are… How evil and twisted they were. You must've been terrified." The Doctor said, realizing that he'd put years of worry onto Gene's shoulders.

"I'm not going to open it again…" Gene stated. "She might be some psycho killer out to destroy the universe and you and I can't… I just can't…" Gene broke down…crying. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.

"It's alright, my love. I'm not angry… I'm just upset that you didn't tell me. You could have told me."

"I was so scared… I thought you'd send me away. I thought you wouldn't love me if you knew…"

"I could never stop loving you." The Doctor said in a fierce voice. "Never, _ever _doubt my love for you." He grabbed her face and looked her into the eyes. "Do you hear me? Never."

"Never ever." Gene nodded, still crying.

"Come here, honey…" He whispered, pulling her against his chest. "I've got you… You don't have to carry that burden alone anymore." He rocked her gently and she slowly relaxed in his arms. "It could have been worse you know…"

"How?"

"I don't know… You could have been married."

"I could be a psychotic nightmare sent to kill you and you're worried about me being married?" Gene asked with a watery laugh.

"Psychotic can be rehabilitated, married is a matter onto itself. I'd have to murder someone and hide the body and then find some way to get you to love me… We'd probably end up being a new Bonnie and Clyde."

"Perhaps we were the originals." Gene chuckled.

"There now…that's the smile I've been waiting for." The Doctor smiled at her.

"Oh shit!" Gene stated, jumping up.

"What is it?"

"I'm late!" Gene frowned.

"Calm down, honey, I'll walk you to class." The Doctor stated, taking her hand and helping her up. "Got anything else to tell me?" He wondered as they walked into the school together.

"No…that's it." Gene said truthfully. The rest of her secrets included his own future, which she couldn't divulge if she wanted to.

"See? Not so bad. We're pretty good at this relationship thing, aren't we?" They walked up the steps together.

"I actually feel a lot better… I felt like I was…betraying you…somehow."

"It's okay honey… I understand you were scared." He said as they stopped outside of her class. "We both do stupid things when we're scared.

"Tell me about it." Gene chuckled weakly, not even noticing that the blinds were up and the students could see them through the door.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah." She smiled at him.

"We'll talk about this more later, alright love?"

"Yeah…" She nodded. He frowned when he saw the boys in her class gawking at her. He grabbed her and pulled her close. He kissed her with enough passion to set the entire building alight.

"That should tide you over for a few hours."

"Or leave me wanting more." Gene sighed.

"I was aiming for the latter." The Doctor said cheekily before he kissed her cheek and walked down the hall. Gene walked into her classroom, her face bright red when she realized they'd seen that.

"Sorry I was late…"

"Are you two a thing?" A blonde girl asked at the front of the class.

"Yes…sorry that was a bit, unprofessional. He sort of showed up and—"

"Sorry for speaking frankly, but you're one lucky bitch." A brunette said simply. "He's gorgeous."

"I think I'm pretty lucky… Please watch your mouth in the future though, not that I can say too much on that front, but please mind your mouth. And keep your eyes off _my_ man."

"You're taken?" A guy said with wide eyes.

"Yeah…been that way for a few years."

"Are you going to get married?" A blonde asked. Gene smiled gently.

"Yeah… I think so."

"How'd you meet?"

"He sort of dropped out of the sky actually…saved my life. We kept running into each other… It had to be fate."

"That's so amazing…"

"It's perfect…" Gene sighed in agreement. "Alright everyone, chapter seven: Derivatives."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Why would there be documents forged? What's the point?" The Doctor asked at night, as they lay down to go to bed.

"I don't know."

"Rubbish, you do know."

"I know they were forged to protect me… I don't know what from."

"Who told you that?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Gene stated simply.

"That's code word for you can't tell me… I got it."

"I'm glad I told you."

"So am I." The Doctor smiled and kissed her just behind her ear. He settled down behind her, spooning her, keeping her wrapped up in his embrace.

Gene felt something strange shift in her head.

It was a new feeling, something she'd never felt before.

For once in her life she didn't need anyone to tell her what it was she was feeling. She knew exactly what it was.

Now she just needed to tell the Doctor.

But how?

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**As promised! I told you I would have spoilers for you at 100 Reviews...and we made it. I will be posting all future spoilers and such here: the backwards american  
**

**No spaces. It's just easier to put up things there as opposed to here where I can't show you pictures and the like. **

**Read the first post on the blog, it'll tell you a bit.**

**Much love to all of you.**


	28. Chapter 28

**If you want to check out spoilers and such go to my blog!**

**OHH! And this story is now really properly M.**

**To the Reviewers: **

**ClarissaR: Thank you so much! I am going to start posting the last few chapters in this story. Don't worry. There is a sequel!**

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**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

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Blink

Part 2: Ready?

"What are you doing?" Martha wondered, looking at Gene. The Doctor was gone, off painting graffiti on a wall. Gene had been acting weird all day, cleaning the flat like a mad person.

"I'm making sure that you've got things around."

"For what?"

"I want to take the Doctor out…"

"Where to?"

"Dinner…maybe…maybe somewhere else as well." Gene said with a red blush.

"What are you talking about, Gene?"

"Depends on the Doctor now." Gene stated. Gene slowly walked into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later. She was wearing a blue, flowing dress with white flowers on it, the same dress Martha had said the Doctor would love. It was silky and soft. Her shoes were her usual blue converse that covered her ankles. Her hair was left as it normally was, slightly curly, but not overdone.

"I like that dress."

"Thank you." Gene smiled. There was a sound from down below. A door opening and closing. A familiar set of footsteps on the staircase. The Doctor came into the room and smiled when he saw Gene. He spun her in a circle and kissed her cheek.

"You look ravishing today." The Doctor commented.

"Thank you." Gene blushed. "Are you busy tonight?"

"No, not at all, why?"

"I was hoping maybe we could go out…"

"I'd love to go." The Doctor smiled and kissed her cheek. "Do I look alright?" He asked, gesturing at his blue suit and red converse.

"You look perfect." Gene said, straightening his tie affectionately.

"Please get out of here you two before I get sick… There's just too much sweetness in one room."

"Sorry, dear." Gene sighed. The Doctor took her arm in his and they walked down out of the flat.

"Be good you two!" Martha called.

"We'll try. Never know with us though! Might run into a little kid with a gasmask, never know." The Doctor called back, Gene just giggled.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"This is nice…" The Doctor said gently.

"Yeah, it is." Gene smiled. They were in a nice, little Italian restaurant. It was quiet and had candles on ever table. It was romantic and sweet. Perfect.

"So…what's the occasion?" The Doctor wondered quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"You… It's just… I don't know. I look at you and it's like… I don't know. It seems like something's different, but I can't put my finger on it. Plus you bit your lip, which means there _is _something up."

"You caught me." Gene relented with a blush.

"So, what is it?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you something, but I didn't know how. I don't really know how anyone really can say this, actually…"

"_You're_ at a loss for words? _Now_ you've got my attention." The Doctor teased. "Just say what you need to say."

"I'm ready." Gene said gently, blushing.

"Ready?" The Doctor asked, confused. Gene turned redder, her poor lower lip was being pinched by her teeth.

Then it hit him…

Like lightning.

"Oh! Oh…" The Doctor said, blushing a bit himself. He thought that this day was coming, he'd hoped that this day was coming. He'd been ready for it ever since he'd got her back. He'd just been waiting, waiting for some sign, some signal. He knew he'd have to wait for her, and he had no problem waiting. "You do know what that…entails?"

"Yes…" Gene looked down. He'd told her the details…the amount of change it involved. "I know you may not be ready or anything like that, but I just wanted you to know… I thought it would be best that I told you… No more secrets and all." Gene said, her voice cracking once. The Doctor smiled gently and reached across the table, lifting her chin gently.

"I'm ready too." He promised with a warm, breath-taking smile.

"Are you sure? I mean… I'm just—"

"Don't finish that statement. You're amazing." The Doctor promised, leaning over the table to kiss her lips tenderly. "We do have a problem though…"

"Yeah…about that…" The Doctor simply raised an eyebrow at her. "I think I may have a solution."

Warning8DWDWDWDWDW8Warning

"Do you always have a solution for everything?" The Doctor wondered, looking out of the window. They were in a moderately-sized hotel room. The walls were white and blue. The bed was black. The comforter was pulled down most of the way and was white with a blue, flowery pattern.

"Not always." Gene said with a frown. The Doctor turned and lifted her chin.

"Did you plan this?"

"Well, I thought, if you wanted…it would work and if you didn't it could just be a break for Martha and…" The Doctor stroked her face gently.

"You're sure?"

"Completely." Gene nodded.

"You're shaking." The Doctor observed.

"I'm nervous…" She said truthfully. He stroked her cheek with his thumb gently.

"You don't need to be nervous… I'll take care of you… I promise."

"It's just—"

"Your first time…" The Doctor finished. "Mine too."

"Aren't you nervous?" Gene asked.

"Scared out of my mind…" He smiled gently.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Not being good enough for you."

"You're always good enough for me." Gene promised.

"And you're perfect for me." He replied. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. "So I guess we should have nothing to fear then, hmmm?"

"Not at all." Gene smiled at him. He had a way about taking her fears away, a way of soothing her that no one else could. They were perfect. He slowly leaned in and kissed her lips, tenderly. She took a brave first step and slid off his jacket and loosening his tie. It was her silent way of telling him that she was sure, completely sure and ready.

The Doctor deepened their kiss and it grew more passionate. Gene tangled her hands in his hair, standing on her toes to kiss him properly. His hands wandered lower and he lifted her up off of the ground. Her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively. The Doctor lay her on the bed, flat on her back. He covered her body with his and continued kissing her, his hands tangling in her soft locks.

Gene didn't have to think about anything she was doing, which helped to keep her calm, relaxed. She was feeling, not thinking, calculating. The Doctor managed to toe out of his shoes as Gene's fingers worked effortlessly against the buttons of his shirt. The fire was burning low in the pit of her stomach and she almost laughed when she recalled being in this exact same position with the Doctor once before, but she didn't dare laugh. The irony was completely forgotten when the Doctor's length pressed against her thigh.

Gene managed to get his shirt off and she ran her hands across his chest. He smiled and reached behind his back where Gene's legs held him captive. He managed to slip both of her shoes and socks off without breaking the kiss. His hands then wandered up to the zip on the back of her dress. The Doctor hesitated and pulled away only for a second.

_Last chance. We always have another day. _His eyes said silently. He was being polite, giving her one last chance to pull away if she wasn't ready.

_No way in hell. _Gene silently replied as she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him down into a smoldering kiss. He managed to unzip her dress and pull it off of her. He paused and looked her up and down appreciatively. Gene blushed and reached for a blanket, but he grabbed her hand.

"You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life… Don't take that sight from me." The Doctor pleaded. She was beautiful, wearing nothing but a dark blue bra and matching boy-shorts. "I love your color choice." He whispered in her ear before kissing down her neck and across her collar bones.

"I thought you might." Gene barely got the words out. Somehow the Doctor's belt slipped off, soon accompanied by his trousers. They both paused, both worried over the same things.

"I'll be gentle." He swore, straightening both of them out on the bed, hovering over Gene in the dark room.

"I know. I trust you…" Gene smiled up at him. That was all he needed. That was all they needed… The Doctor began to move, slowly undoing the clasp of Gene's bra before he slid it off. She wanted to cover herself…feeling shy and embarrassed, but she didn't she knew she didn't have to, even if she felt like it. The Doctor took his time, kissing, tasting, teasing every inch of her skin until she was squirming underneath him, begging for more.

Their last articles of clothes hit the ground the same time all of their possible fears and worries had left them.

His fingers met her soft, wet folds and she gasped her back arching upwards. She'd never been touched before, never knew just how sensitive a person could be to touch, yet that one touch set the whole room on fire.

He was gentle and patient, every single one of his movements were meant to make Gene more comfortable. Gene pressed kissed against his face, neck, and chest…when her lips weren't occupied three words kept slipping from them. "I love you… I love you…"

The world could have been under attack.

The universe could have been dying.

All of reality could have come to a stop…

They wouldn't have noticed or cared.

"Please…please Doctor…" Gene begged, pulling him closer. "Please…make me yours…"

"You never need to ask…never ever." He preceded to do just that.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

Gene slowly moved as she came back to consciousness. She felt happier than she ever had in her life and her heart was light with the amount of love and joy packed inside it. The first thing she noticed was that she could hear the Doctor's thoughts and feel his emotions. He was still sleeping, dreaming of her, content, happy, loved. She smiled at that. The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't sore…anywhere. Her heart swelled at that. She'd always heard horror stories of the morning after from other woman…but her Doctor… Her Mate…he'd taken care of her…made sure she wouldn't hurt. The third thing she noticed was that it was late afternoon. She'd known that Mating would have tiring effects, melting two people into one being typically was a long, exhausting process, but she didn't think that they'd sleep that long. Then she realized…

Mate…

She had a Mate…

The most handsome caring Mate in all of space and time.

"Gene…" The Doctor whispered quietly. "You're thinking rather loudly." The Doctor chuckled quietly. Gene pulled the covers over her bare torso.

"Sorry… Didn't mean to wake you." She apologized in a quiet voice.

"If you cover yourself up one more time…" The Doctor stated, opening his eyes and grabbing her hands gently.

"I'm sorry…"

"I didn't think you'd be so shy about yourself, not with the way you normally hold yourself… I might have to keep your clothes from you until you learn not to be shy." The Doctor teased. He gently kissed her lips and ran a single hand through her hair. "You're beautiful."

"So are you."

"So I heard with your running commentary." He winked at her.

"I don't really know how to control my thoughts yet… I don't know where mine stop and yours begin." She said, biting her lip.

"We won't be able to…not for a while… It's…intense…"

"Tell me about it…" Gene chuckled. The Doctor looked at her and smiled. She was beautiful in the afternoon sunlight that made its way through the curtains.

_How long do we have this room for?_

_All weekend… Why—I? Oh… _She blushed. She could hear his thoughts and feel his need creeping through him.

_I think this will be a lovely weekend, don't you?_

_The best…_ Gene smiled. She let out a small yelp of surprise when the Doctor flipped her on her back. How he could surprise her when she could read his mind was beyond her, but she didn't care about that for long… He distracted her from it, quite thoroughly.

* * *

**the backwards american at blog spot yadda yadda yadda**

**Read the first post on the blog, it'll tell you a bit.**

**Much love to all of you.**


	29. Chapter 29

**The link to my blog is on my profile. So if I mention any changes to it, you all know where to look!**

**To the Reviewers:**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

Blink

Part 3: Mated

The Doctor and Gene made it back to the flat very late on Tuesday night, glad it had been a holiday weekend, but upset that they hadn't had more time. "Gene! Doctor! Oh, thank God…" Martha sighed in relief, hugging both of them.

"What's wrong, Martha?" The pair of them asked at the same time.

"What's wrong, you both disappeared off of the face of the planet that's what!"

"Oh…sorry." They said with a small frown.

"Are you two alright? You look a bit…oh my God. You've done it haven't you? You've finally gone and done it." Color filled Martha's cheeks. Gene blushed and the Doctor did as well, feeling her embarrassment as his own.

"Yeah…" The Doctor said, biting his lip. "Dear God, that's how you feel when people ask you questions like that?" He asked, turning to Gene.

"Every time. You're the idiot who made it so I knew what embarrassment was, so technically it's all your fault."

"You know…it's actually probably a good thing." Martha commented. "The tension was ridiculous."

"Might not be a good thing." Gene stated. The Doctor looked at her, feeling hurt. Did she really feel that way about their Mating? He had never felt so happy, so complete.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked, very upset.

"Have you noticed the workings of our minds? I have…" _We're both insatiable. _"This place really only has one room…"

"Please stay at a hotel for the remainder of our stay." Martha said, instantly covering her eyes. "I do not need to get a peek at either of you, especially when you're…doing that."

"I don't want you getting a peek of him." Gene said instantly, protective. "Don't you dare."

"I don't want to." Martha said, holding up her arms. "Trust me. I prefer humans."

"Alright…" Gene said, relaxing. She hated that she snapped at Martha, but she couldn't help it.

The Doctor was hers.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"So what is it with the two of you?" Martha wondered. "Ever since you two…well you know… Ever since then you two have been like mirrors. It's weird."

"You don't know the half of it." The Doctor said. He was grumpy. Martha had the day off, but Gene didn't. He could still feel her in his head, hear her thoughts and tell her emotions, but she just wasn't close enough. He wanted to hold her.

"Why are you so close…? I've never seen anything like it."

"It's part of the Mating. We opened our minds, hearts, and souls to one-another. We've picked up a few traits that each other has, we have trouble understanding where one mind begins and the other ends. It's just part of the deal."

"Will you be normal again?"

"Never normal, I'd never want that. Our minds will always be joined, but we'll retain our own personalities again, with some modifications. She may have a few of my habits and I may end up with a few of hers."

"It must be hard to be away from her."

"It is…" She should be in his arms, with him, together… He wanted her and was upset that they had such a small place. He couldn't wait until the weekend…he had lots of plans, all of them required no clothes…

_Stop it._

_What? _The Doctor asked innocently.

_I can't concentrate while you are sending all of the longing my way and the images... God you have a vivid mind._

_I think you're doing a fine job. _

_I'm trying to teach and it's hard enough thinking about you in my own head, you adding to the…fire isn't helping me any._

_Do you need me to come to school? _The Doctor asked innocently, but the ideas under that sentence were far from innocent.

_Stop it! God, I can't even look at that desk anymore. Seriously…calm down. The looks these kids are giving me…_

_Nothing compared to the looks I give you, my love._ He could feel Gene shifting back and forth. He could tell she was anxious. He was making her anxious…needy. He loved it.

_Maybe you should come to school…_

_Are you being serious? _The Doctor asked hopefully.

_No!...well maybe. I don't know. _The Doctor saw a girl look up at Gene through her eyes. _"Are you alright Miss Cooper? You're really red. Are you ill?" "I'm fine, Misty." Do you see what you're doing to me? Stop it._

_I think it's adorable._

_Don't make me._

_Make you what? _Suddenly the Doctor felt nothing, nothing at all. He started to panic, thinking that something had happened to Gene, but then he noticed that he could still hear her thoughts. She was fine…just different. Not herself. _What did you do? _He asked, feeling strangely calm, completely at ease…no more tension anywhere.

_You always did wonder how I remained calm in tough situations…_

_You can just erase things, like that?_

_If I have to... I needed some way to deal with this brain. _Gene stated simply.

_You didn't have to._

_You wouldn't stop… There are children here. They deserve better than a horny teacher…and since you weren't going to let up, I made sure you did. Glad to know that this helps you calm down as well. Though…I did appreciate your idea, maybe later…_

_Is that a promise?_

_Always._

"Doctor?" Martha asked, snapping her fingers. He shook his head and looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine why?"

"You've been acting weird."

"I wasn't even aware of it… I'm sorry. I can sort of…drown in her thoughts."

"I haven't noticed…"

"It's been so long since I've had anyone in my mind…and I've never had someone so…deep in my head…everywhere at once."

_Doctor?_

"And there she is again." He smiled. _Yes, love?_

_You've seen what I've seen…most of it. Nearly everything…_

_Of course…_

_Do you have…feelings…about the future?_

_Sometimes, yes. All Time Lords do. _

_I think those bled into my residual memories… _

_Why?_

_I've been thinking, there have been lots of times…in my past where I've said things and later realized that they had happened… Is that normal?_

_Perhaps you were a mild visionary._

_Doesn't that mean that maybe I was sent after you? They used visionaries as weapons…_

_Why are you still worrying about it? I told you…I don't care what you were or what you were meant to be, I love you for who you are._

_I know… I just can't help but be…morbidly curious. I don't know how to just stop thinking._

_I know a way to make you stop thinking._

_Oh, hush you. _The Doctor felt his own cheeks blush.

"What have you said to embarrass her now?" Martha asked. The Doctor smiled at her and Martha covered her ears. "Never mind, I don't need to know."

"Just as well, I think just she and I should know what goes on between us." He said with a wink.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor sat outside of the school, watching as Gene walked down the steps with a fellow teacher. Gene was irritated, therefore so was the Doctor. "No…"

"Come on, Gene, just one drink…and if we happen to make it back to my place then—"

"I said, no, don't you have ears?" Gene asked, walking down the steps faster. The man grabbed her arm, that made Gene angry. The Doctor was furious.

"Gene." The man stated. The Doctor was at her side at an instant.

"She told you no." The Doctor said, glaring at the man as he wrapped his arm around Gene, pulling her slightly behind her, standing in front of her protectively. How dare that man touch what was his? Gene was his and no one else had the right to touch her.

"Maybe she doesn't know what she wants. What are you, her older brother? She's got to grow up some day." The Doctor punched him in the face. The man grabbed his nose, finding it broken and bleeding.

"If you ever touch her again, I'll kill you. If I see you talking to her again I'll make your life a living hell."

"Doctor…" Gene put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, love…"

"So this is lover boy?" The teacher asked. His voice was off due to his broken nose.

"Don't listen to him…Doctor… Please…let's go home. Can we go home?" Gene asked, pulling him back.

"But he—"

"I know…but killing him isn't going to help matters…" Gene said, she could feel his fury, but she tried to remain calm, tried to bring him back to sense.

"Gene—"

_Doctor he can't touch you, but if you kill him I will probably get in trouble springing you from jail… Bonnie and Clyde. Come with me…come home._ That's all she had to say and the Doctor took a step back, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Never touch my fiancée again." The Doctor warned before he walked away with her quickly. The Doctor led Gene, his mind was full of rage. For the first time since they had Mated, Gene could clearly distinguish between her own mind and the Doctor's. Every one of his thoughts were blurred, too quick to fully comprehend.

"Where are we going?" Gene asked after a moment. They weren't heading towards home.

"Martha's home."

"And?" Gene asked as the Doctor led her into a hotel.

"I would rather it just be us for now…" The Doctor insisted. He quickly talked to the man at the desk before leading Gene quickly up the stairs. They made it into the room before the Doctor quickly began to look Gene over. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…angry, but I'm alright." Gene said.

"He grabbed your arm tightly." The Doctor said angrily.

"He didn't hurt me." Gene promised as the Doctor looked at her wrist, checking for a bruise, any sign of strain.

"If he ever touches you again, tell me."

"He won't… Besides, I probably won't see him again… I probably won't have a job—"

"I don't really care. If it gets you away from men like him, I don't care. I'll work if you want me to, I don't want you out there with men like him."

"You can't work… You nearly blew up the house yesterday with your boredom, you would never make it."

"Quit, do something, anything, just don't—" Gene pushed him onto the bed keeping him upright.

"Relax…just breathe…please…" Gene said, cupping his face in her hands. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes…just breathing for a few minutes.

"No one else gets to touch you…no one." The Doctor said in a strong voice.

"Good…" Gene said with a small smile. "I don't want anyone else." The Doctor smiled up at her and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm sorry… I just felt so angry… I couldn't stand it… I couldn't stand to see someone else touch you."

"It's fine." The Doctor smiled and kissed her cheek. Gene hugged him tightly and pressed a kiss to his ear. "We should use this time wisely…"

"Mmm…several times…" The Doctor agreed before Gene had him pinned against the bed.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Good lord, I can't believe you two." Martha shook her head. "Four days?"

"Well…yeah." The Doctor nodded.

"Oh my lord…" Martha said, covering her eyes.

"Whoa!" Gene stated, jumping up.

"What is it?" Martha wondered.

"The Timey-Whimey detector went ding. Gene didn't think I'd built it properly. Proved her wrong."

"I watched her rewire it."

"What?" The Doctor asked Gene, looking devastated.

"I win…" Gene smiled.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"She's furious with you." Gene said, looking at the Doctor. The TARDIS was furious…huffy and fussy.

"She'll get over it." The Doctor smiled at Gene warmly.

"I don't think she will." Gene touched the TARDIS gently and she hummed pleasantly.

"Why does she always take your side?"

"Because I'm nice to her."

"I'm nice…"

"No…not really." Gene teased.

"Take it back."

"Nope." Gene smiled before she began to run from him. He chased her through the TARDIS, the halls changing constantly as they ran. The Doctor came to a dead end and whirled around. "That's not good." Gene said. She was behind him, also at a dead end.

"Nowhere to run." The Doctor smiled. A door appeared to the left and Gene ran inside, the Doctor followed her and froze. It was a room neither of them had been in before, but both of them knew. It was a combination of both Gene's room and his.

The walls were creamy white, with a dark blue ceiling. The bed was a large sleigh bed with blue covers and white pillows. The floor was made of a dark hardwood. There was a bookshelf and a shelf full of music. There was a love seat next to a roaring fire that filled the room with a warm light and the door in the corner led to a large bathroom.

"Thank you girl." Gene whispered to the walls. The TARDIS hummed, knowing that her two favorite passengers had finally Mated.

"Perfect…" the Doctor agreed. "Hope this means you're alright to wait a while before refueling…" The Doctor said to the TARDIS as he grabbed Gene's arm. "Got you…"

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	30. Chapter 30

**The link to my blog is on my profile. So if I mention any changes to it, you all know where to look!**

**To the reviewer(s):**

**skidney: Thank you dear!**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

Utopia

"Cardiff." The Doctor stated simply.

"Cardiff?" Martha asked, not missing the fact that both Gene and the Doctor were wearing different clothes then they had been.

"Ah, but the thing about Cardiff, it's built on a rift in time and space, just like California and the San Andreas Fault, but the rift bleeds energy. Every now and then I need to open up the engines, soak up the energy and use it as fuel."

"So it's a pit stop." Martha smiled.

"Exactly. Should only take twenty seconds. The rift's been active." The Doctor stated.

"The impossible comes together…" Gene whispered quietly, a shiver going down her back.

"What?" Martha wondered.

"Hmm?" Gene asked, looking up.

"You mumbled something."

"Did I?" Gene inquired.

"Yeah… Wait a minute. They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple of years ago. Was that you?"

"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen." The Doctor shrugged. "A long time ago. Lifetimes. I was a different man back then."

"A good man. Still are."

"You made me a good man." The Doctor smiled and kissed her forehead gently. "Finito. All powered up." The Doctor saw Jack on the scanner and quickly started to take off. Something slammed into the TARDIS and shook the whole ship.

"Whoa! What's that?"

"We're accelerating into the future. The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. Fifty trillion? What? The year one hundred trillion? That's impossible." The Doctor said with wide eyes.

"Why? What happens then?"

"We're going to the end of the universe." Gene said simply as they came to a halt.

"Well, we've landed."

"So what's out there?" Martha said.

"I don't know."

"Say that again. That's rare."

"Not even the Time Lords came this far." The Doctor commented.

"We should leave. We should go. We should really, really go…" Gene said, another shiver running down her spine. The Doctor smiled at her and ran for the door.

"Oh my God!" Martha said with wide eyes, running to Jack's side.

_Isn't he…immortal?_

_He's impossible._

_'The impossible comes together.' _Gene thought, suddenly recalling what she'd said.

_You did say that… Must be more of your Time Lord consciousness bleeding through._

_Do you think I woke her up…opening the watch?_

_Even if you did, she couldn't touch you._

_"_Can't get a pulse. Hold on. You've got that medical kit thing." Martha said, running into the TARDIS.

"Hello again. Oh, I'm sorry." The Doctor sighed.

"I'm sorry, my friend."

"Here we go. Get out of the way. It's a bit odd, though. Not very hundred trillion. That coat's more like World War Two."

"He came with us." Gene said, frowning down at him. It upset her that she wasn't just herself anymore, that she could tell her other self was effecting her mind.

"How do you mean, from Earth?"

"Must have been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. Well, that's very him." The Doctor commented.

"What, do you know him?"

"Friend of mine. Used to travel with me, back in the old days."

"I traveled with him about a year ago… He was like…a brother and a friend and…sort of a son to me." Gene shrugged. "Well I say son…"

"But he's. I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead." Jack opened his eyes and took a deep breath, grabbing Martha who shrieked in panic. "Oh, so much for me. It's all right. Just breathe deep. I've got you."

"Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"

"Martha Jones."

"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones." Jack said flirtatiously.

"Oh, don't start." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"I was only saying hello."

"I don't mind." Martha smiled, helping Jack up.

"Doctor. Gene." He nodded to the Doctor and reached out to hug Gene, but the Doctor grabbed his arms.

"Don't, touch her." The Doctor warned in a flat voice.

"Gene? Quick question?"

"Time check?" Gene wondered.

"Yeah. Fire from hell?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Alright, I know all I need to know." Jack said with a nod. "You two…look good. You're glowing a bit… Ooh… I know that glow. You've finally done it haven't you? About time, even back then…there was so much tension… Did you see the way you looked at each other? Talk about setting whole rooms on fire. You look like you've had some work done though."

"Oh yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"

"The police box kind of gives it away. I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me."

"Did I? Busy life. Moving on."

"Just got to ask. The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It said Rose Tyler." Jack said slowly.

"Oh, no! Sorry, she's alive."

"You're kidding." Jack said with a wide smile.

"Parallel world, safe and sound. And Mickey, and her mother."

"Oh, yes!" Jack hugged the Doctor tightly. "Why can I hug you and not Gennie?" Jack asked, pulling away.

"No one touches her, but me."

"You'll loosen up someday. As soon as you get over the initial bond."

"You know a bit too much."

"Eh…thank Backwards Gene for that one."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing…yet…"

"Doctor…" Gene asked quietly. He turned to her instantly. He could feel worry in her.

"What is it?"

"I don't know…but something's about to go very wrong."

"When doesn't it around you two?" Jack asked with a smile.

"True." Gene chuckled, laughing the feeling off.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Lieutenant, everyone on board?" The Doctor asked.

"Ready and waiting."

"Stand by. Two minutes to ignition." Gene told him.

"Ready to launch. Outer doors sealed."

_Countdown commencing. T minus ninety nine, ninety eight_ – the computer called out. The Doctor, Gene, and Jack all rushed around, flipping switches as Martha came down the hall.

"Ah, nearly there. The footprint, it's a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It'll take the both of us to keep it stable."

"Good thing there's three of us then." Jack smiled.

"Doctor, it's the Professor. He's got this watch. He's got a fob watch. It's the same as yours. Same writing on it, same everything." Martha said in a panic.

"Don't be ridiculous." The Doctor scoffed.

"I asked him. He said he's had it his whole life." Martha said.

"So he's got the same watch." Jack shrugged.

"Yeah, but it's not a watch. It's this chameleon thing."

"No, no, no, it's this, this thing, this device, it rewrites biology. Changes a Time Lord into a human."

"And it's the same watch."

"It can't be." The Doctor protested as an alarm sounded.

"That means he could be a Time Lord. You might not be the last one." Jack said with wide eyes.

"Jack, keep it level!" The Doctor ordered.

"But that's brilliant, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Course it is. Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords. All of them. They died."

"Not if he was human." Jack added.

"What did he say, Martha? What did he say?"

_Doctor…his headaches… He said he always heard a drumbeat. Wasn't your old friend…your enemy…didn't he hear things in his head? A beat…_

_"_ He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it. Like that perception filter thing."

"What about now? Can he see it now?"

"Yes… Don't you remember? The Face of Boe… You are not alone…" Gene said.

_He could have been talking about you._

_Then why did he use those specific words. Yana. Y. A. N. A._

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Professor! Professor, let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open now!" The Doctor shouted.

"I'll help." Gene nodded.

"Professor! Professor, where are you?! Professor! Professor, are you there? Please, I need to explain. Whatever you do, don't open that watch."

"They're coming!" Martha shouted as the Futurekind grew near.

"Professor! Open the door, please! I'm begging you, Professor. Please, listen to me." The Doctor pleaded for Gene's sake. He couldn't have her at risk. "Just open the door, please." They managed to make it through the door only to find that Yana had gone into the TARDIS and locked it behind him.

"Let me in. Let me in!" The Doctor shouted.

"She's dead." Martha said, looking down at Chantho. Jack and Gene struggled to hold the door closed.

"I broke the lock. Give me a hand!"

"I'm begging you. Everything's changed! It's only the two of us! We're the only ones left! Just let me in!"

"Doctor! You'd better think of something!" Gene called out, the door was being forced open.

"Now then, Doctor… Ooo, new voice. Hello, hello. Hello." He said, testing the range of his voice. "Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me, I don't think so."

"Hold on. I know that voice." Martha said with wide eyes.

"I'm asking you really properly. Just stop. Just think!"

"Use my name."

"Master... I'm sorry."

"Tough!"

"We can't hold out much longer, Doctor!" Jack called out to him. The Doctor lifted his sonic screwdriver quickly.

"Oh, no you don't! End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!"

_Doctor… Help us. I have an idea._

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	31. Chapter 31

**The link to my blog is on my profile. So if I mention any changes to it, you all know where to look!**

**To the reviewer(s):**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

The Sound of Drums

"Oh, my head." Martha complained.

"Time travel without a capsule. That's a killer." The Doctor said, helping Gene to her feet and wrapping his arms around her.

"Still, at least we made it. Earth, twenty first century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky."

"That wasn't luck, that was Gene." The Doctor smiled and kissed her temple.

"The moral is, if you're going to get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex manipulator."

"Moral is, take a genius with you everywhere you go." Gene corrected.

"But this Master bloke, he's got the TARDIS. He could be anywhere in time and space."

"No, he's here. Trust me."

"Who is he, anyway? And that voice at the end, that wasn't the Professor."

"If the Master's a Time Lord, then he must have regenerated." Jack stated.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he's changed his face, voice, body, everything. New man." Jack stated. Gene looked at the beggar on the street who was tapping a cup in a very familiar rhythm. _Triplet, four. Triplet, four._

_"_Then how are we going to find him?" Martha wondered.

"I'll know him, the moment I see him. Time Lords always do."

"But hold on. If he could be anyone, we missed the election. But it can't be." Martha said, staring at the TV screen on a lamppost.

"I said I knew that voice. When he spoke inside the TARDIS. I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"That's him. He's Prime Minister."

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Home." Martha smiled gently.

"What have you got? Computer, laptop, anything?" The Doctor requested. "Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here."

"Just some friends of mine and Gene's second cousin, but there's no reply."

"My cousin?" Gene wondered.

"You'll understand later." Jack smiled.

"Here you go. Any good?"

"I can show you the Saxon websites. He's been around for ages." Jack commented.

"That's so weird though. It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you." Martha said.

"We went flying all around the universe while he was here all the time." Gene said slowly.

"You going to tell us who he is?"

"He's a Time Lord." The Doctor answered simply.

"What about the rest of it? I mean, who'd call himself the Master?"

"That's all you need to know. Come on, show me Harold Saxon."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Britain, Britain, Britain." The Master stated on the TV. "What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen. Big Ben destroyed. A spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again, and the government told you nothing. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britain, I have been contacted… A message for humanity, from beyond the stars." The TV showed a small spere.

"People of the Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship."

"Ooo, sweet. And this species has identified itself." The Master said. "They are called the Toclafane."

"What?" The Doctor asked with wide eyes.

"And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. Oh, I don't know, every medical student?" The Master smiled knowingly at the camera.

"Run." Gene whispered. The Doctor looked at the back of the TV to see a bomb strapped there.

"Out!" The Doctor shouted, grabbing the laptop as he ran out. They made it to the street and the whole house exploded, the four of them were flung to the ground.

"Gene?!" The Doctor called instantly, worried. He felt pain in her hand and quickly went to her side. "Are you alright?" He asked. Gene pushed herself up and looked at the shard of glass that was sticking out of her hand. She pulled it out and blood began to seep from the wound. "Gene…" The Doctor sighed. He grabbed her hand and tried to cover the wound with his hand.

"Don't. It will be fine."

"But it hurts… I can feel it."

"I can take care of it." Gene promised, ripping a bit of her shirt.

"Here…let me." The Doctor said, gently tying the shirt around her bleeding hand.

"Don't mind us… We're fine." Martha commented, rolling her eyes.

"Mates always come first… Don't judge them." Jack defended as he watched the Doctor kiss Gene's hand gently.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Let them go, Saxon. Do you hear me! Let them go!" Martha shouted into the phone. The Doctor took her phone from her.

"I'm here."

"Doctor."

"Master."

"I like it when you use my name."

"You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day." The Doctor said, rolling his eyes.

"As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?"

"So, Prime Minister, then." The Doctor commented gently, sitting next to Gene, gently stroking the back of her injured hand. The bleeding had slowed, but only because Gene kept pressure on it. The Doctor wanted to destroy whoever had broken that bottle in the road.

"I know. It's good, isn't it?" The Master asked with a smile in his voice.

"Who are those creatures? Because there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made up name, like the Bogeyman."

"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids back home? Where is it, Doctor?"

"Gone."

"How can Gallifrey be gone?"

"It burnt."

"And the Time Lords?" The Doctor shot a look at Gene.

"Dead. And the Daleks, more or less. What happened to you?"

"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War. I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me, because I was so scared."

"I know."

"All of them? But not you, which must mean…

"I was the only one who could end it. And I tried. I did. I tried everything."

"I was under the impression that it was Kaya's job to end the Time War…"

"They killed her… Rassilon…he had her killed."

"Oh…" The Master said slowly. "What did it feel like, though? Two almighty civilisations burning. Oh, tell me, how did that feel?"

"Stop it!"

"You must have been like God."

"I've been alone ever since. But not anymore. Don't you see? All we've got is each other." _Ignore that… I just don't want him to know about you… He may come after you._

_I understand._

_"_Are you asking me out on a date?"

"You could stop this right now. We could leave this planet. We can fight across the constellations, if that's what you want, but not on Earth." The Doctor stated.

"Too late."

"Why do you say that?"

"The drumming. Can't you hear it? I thought it would stop, but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming."

"I could help you. Please, let me help."

"It's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen. Here come the drums. Here come the drums." A man on a corner started tapping the rhythm as Gene and the Doctor walked past a store.

"What have you done? Tell me how you've done this. What are those creatures? Tell me!"

"Change of subject… Who's the girl?"

"What?"

"The girl, Doctor… I've been trying to figure it out." The Master said simply. "I know she's Gene Cooper, from Maine… She's an orphan, twice over…a genius and a musician… Why her? She's didn't have anything to do with alien encounters at all. I mean, I get Miss Jones, she was abducted by aliens…but Gene… Why her?"

"We happened to stumble into each other."

"Hmm… Not quite convinced. Ooo look. You're on TV."

"Stop it."

"No, really. You're on telly. You and your little band, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box, plus you've got an American. So, congratulations on that. Look, there you are." The Doctor and Gene stopped to look at a TV in a shop window.

"…four terrorists. They are known as the Doctor, Gene, Martha Jones, and the Captain. They are known to be armed and extremely dangerous."

"You're public enemies number one, two, three, and four. Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas, so he won't be getting any help from them. Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?"

"He can see us." Gene lifted her sonic and pointed it at the camera, taking it out.

"Ooh… The American's got a sonic… Are you sure you just stumbled into her? She's such a little public menace. Better start running. Go on, run."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

"How was it?" Jack wondered as Martha walked into the warehouse with food and a small bag that she handed to Gene.

"I don't think anyone saw me. Anything new?"

"I've got this tuned to government wavelengths so we can follow what Saxon's doing." Jack said simply as Gene pulled out a first aid kit and a sewing kit. The Doctor was at her side instantly, helping her clean her cut. Gene hissed and pulled her hand back when the antiseptic stung her.

"Sorry, love..." The Doctor whispered gently.

"Yeah, I meant about my family."

"It still says the Jones family taken in for questioning. Tell you what, though. No mention of Leo." Gene said simply. "I'd tell you more, but I couldn't really type."

"He's not as daft as he looks. I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen?"

"Nice chips." Jack smiled. The Doctor slowly began to thread a needle.

"This isn't the right type…" He said, looking at Gene. Her hand was still bleeding.

"It doesn't matter… It needs to be done."

"It's not—"

"Sh, it's fine." The Doctor frowned and began to stitch the cut closed, glad that she hadn't hurt any of her tendons or bones. She didn't wince once as he worked. Gene opened a tube of superglue with her free hand as the Doctor cut the string. She covered her cut in the glue and waited for it to dry.

"Actually, they're not bad." Gene commented after cleaning her uninjured hand and stealing one from Jack. The Doctor got up and handed Gene food, sitting down next to her with his own.

"So, Doctor, who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?"

"They created lots of psychopaths." Gene commented quietly.

"And what is he to you? Like a colleague or…?"

"A friend, at first."

"I thought you were going to say he was your secret brother or something."

"You've been watching too much TV." The Doctor shook his head.

"But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect."

"Well, perfect to look at, maybe. And it was. It was beautiful. They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe, looking down on the galaxies below. Sworn never to interfere, only to watch. Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families age of eight to enter the Academy. And some say that's when it all began. When he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism. It's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired, some would run away, and some would go mad… I don't know."

"What about you?" Martha wondered.

"Oh, the ones that ran away, I never stopped." The Doctor commented.

"Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognize it."

"Patch it through to the laptop." The Doctor instructed.

"Since we're telling stories, there's something I haven't told you…" The Torchwood logo appeared on the laptop screen.

"You work for Torchwood?" The Doctor asked.

"Is that supposed to shock me?" Gene asked. "I've known since I first met you, almost since before I met the Doctor, actually. I've known that you'd work for them."

"That's why you talked about it before the Daleks… You knew before I even… You knew before I met you the first time?" Jack asked.

"Of course." Gene shrugged. "Backwards American, over here." The Doctor didn't seem so alright with the idea though.

"I swear to you, it's different. It's changed. There's only half a dozen of us now."

"Everything Torchwood did, and you're part of it?"

"The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf. I rebuilt it, I changed it, and when I did that, I did it for you in your honor." The Doctor shook his head and hit play on the laptop.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

_Doctor? _Gene asked, looking around.

_Yes?_

_The watch... The Master might find it…if we were to be captured… _Gene said slowly, worriedly.

_I won't allow you to be captured._

_But…just in case, shouldn't we find a place to hide it? _Gene wondered.

"Jack?" The Doctor asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Do me a favor?" The Doctor wondered.

"Of course." The Doctor slipped his hand into Gene's back pocket and pulled out her watch. He handed it to Jack and his eyes widened.

"Isn't this what got us into this mess?"

"No, keep your voice down…" The Doctor insisted. "If there is trouble get out, use the Vortex Manipulator and take this with you. The Master can't know there's another Time Lord out there."

"Who is it?" Jack wondered.

"I don't know." Gene said simply. "But she was me…before I was me."

"Really?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Sh…I don't need Martha knowing, it would just put her in danger."

"Yeah, right, of course. You have my word, I'll keep it out of his hands."

"Thank you Jack…" Gene smiled at him warmly before finishing her work on the perception filters with the Doctor.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Now then, peoples of the Earth. Please attend carefully." The Doctor tried to move forward and put his key around the Master's neck but two men dressed in black grab him. "We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho. I love saying that."

"Stop it! Stop it now!"

"As if a perception filter's going to work on me. Ah, it's the girl that brings up all the questions." The Master said, looking at Gene. "And look, it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which." Jack ran forward and the Master hit him in the chest with a screwdriver of his own. "Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!" The Master cheered happily.

"Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself—"

"Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute." The Master said to the camera before turning to the Doctor. "Let him go."

"It's that sound. The sound in your head. What if I could help?"

"Oh, how to shut him up? I know. Memory Lane. Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device? What, did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver? But, ooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do." He said, opening a large briefcase and pulled out the Doctor's severed hand in a large, bubbling jar. "I've got his hand. And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?"

"No!" Gene shouted as the Master hit the Doctor with his laser screwdriver, sending the Doctor into convulsions. Gene could feel his pain, but she dare not show it. She knew better than to let the Master know that she was the Doctor's Mate. Jack woke up and looked at Martha. He handed her his Vortex Manipulator and the fob watch, which he'd hidden in a black bag that clearly stated she wasn't to open it under any circumstances.

"Teleport."

"I can't." Martha whispered back.

"We can't stop him. Get out of here. Get out." Jack insisted. Gene moved forward and helped the aged Doctor sit up.

"I've got you." Gene promised just as Martha made it to his other side, holding him.

"Ah, she's a would-be doctor. But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown them in all the way from prison." Martha's family was escorted in by a guard, their wrists tied by cables.

"Mum."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry I couldn't have any of your family brought in, little Miss America. I thought it would be a bit too much for you to lose three different families…besides your family isn't very invested in you, are they?"

"The Toclafane. What are they? Who are they?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break.

"Is it time? Is it ready?"

"Is the machine singing?"

"Two minutes past. So, Earthings. Basically, er, end of the world. Here come the drums!"

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	32. Chapter 32

**The link to my blog is on my profile. So if I mention any changes to it, you all know where to look!**

**To the reviewer(s):**

**I don't own Doctor Who...and someone gave me part of this plot. I just breathed life into it and made it my own.**

* * *

Last of the Time Lords

It took the Master exactly twenty minutes after Martha had disappeared to realize that Gene and the Doctor weren't friends. Gene was on the floor next to the Doctor, holding him in her arms. "I've got you…"

"I know…" The Doctor replied gently. _I must look…_

_I don't care. You still look great for being nine-hundred years old._ Gene said kindly. The Doctor almost laughed. The Master moved across the room quickly and grabbed Gene by the hair, pulling her up and away from the Doctor.

"Don't!" The Doctor protested, angrily.

"Who's this then?" The Master wondered. "I've looked you up pretty, and your whole life's a mess. I've looked up your family. One of them claims that you're insane and that you say you disappear every now and then… What's your story?"

"She doesn't—"

"Shut up!" The Master snapped at the Doctor. "Who are you?"

"Gene Cooper."

"You don't seem scared." The Master commented, running his laser screwdriver down her cheek.

"I'm not." Gene said truthfully, looking into the Master's eyes. He looked into her blue eyes and felt something strange. He could only remember one person who had looked at him like that…one person who never had any fear of him. He respected that.

"Who are you?"

"Gene—" The Master lifted his laser screwdriver and pointed it at the Doctor. "Don't…please don't." She said, grabbing his arm. The Master turned and looked at her.

"Tell me…now."

"I…" She couldn't finish, she couldn't tell him. The Master slapped her across the face, impatient.

"I won't ask again." He said, pointing the laser screwdriver at her.

"Don't!" The Doctor shouted. "Don't you dare touch her."

"The truth will set you free." The Master said with wide eyes. "I thought you were Mates, but now, here's the proof. Recently Mated by the sounds of it… How tragic." The Master grabbed Gene by her hair and dragged her towards the stairs. He grabbed a small bracelet from the table and forced it onto her wrist before he handcuffed her hands together behind her back.

Gene's eyes widened. She couldn't hear the Doctor anymore, she couldn't feel his mind in hers any longer. She felt completely alone…

"What have you done?" The Doctor asked.

"I prepared… I didn't think you'd ever Mate a lowly human. I always thought you had your eyes on Kaya…but I had my suspicions. I don't need you two plotting behind my back."

"Kaya's dead. They're all dead."

"Just us…" The Master nodded before he started dragging Gene away. She was panicking…her whole mind felt empty, scary without the Doctor.

"Stop! Where are you taking her?!"

"As far from you as possible. I know how much separation hurts…and I want you to hurt." The Master said with a cruel smile. "What better way to punish you than making your Mate suffer?"

"Doctor…" Gene called out. The Doctor stared after her as the door slammed behind them. She was so scared, but there was nothing he could say to her. Nothing he could promise to comfort her, and that hurt him…stabbed him directly in his hearts.

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

It took the Master two weeks to realize that Gene wasn't someone he could handle being in the same room with. Something about her… The way she looked at him made him feel like she could burn a hole all the way to the very depths of his soul. It scared him…

She made him feel like he was the weak one, the one in the wrong and he couldn't handle it.

After two weeks, he couldn't stand to look at her, she made him feel guilty.

So he didn't see her again, but he left the bracelet on her and left her alone in the cold, dark cell…without her Mate.

Keeping Mates apart…taboo even among the worst of Time Lords, but the Master knew the Doctor was crafty, he couldn't take his chances.

Even if he didn't want to hurt Gene, it was the only way to keep the Doctor in line.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Please…" The Doctor said for the millionth time, twelve weeks in. "Please, Master…"

"No, no, no, no. You don't get to make requests old man." He said to the man in the wheel chair.

"I can feel her…please… She's sick… She's sick and she's hurt, and she'll go insane if you keep us apart for much longer. Please. I beg you. Just five minutes. Just…please let me hold her for five minutes."

"So you can take her bracelet off? No way. You're too crafty."

"Please…she needs me…and she's so sick… She could die."

"Not my problem."

"Please… Send her someone, anyone. She needs a doctor, medicine, something. She can hardly breathe!" The Master was suddenly assaulted with Gene's pain, through the Doctor's thoughts and memories. "Please… I'll do anything. You can torture me…anything you want…please…just make her better, fix her. Please don't let her die…"

…

Gene squinted into the bright light and coughed hard into her hands. She was cold, freezing and curled up in a ball in the corner of the cell. Her legs and arms were chained to the wall, her clothes were dirty. She turned her eyes on the Master, and once again he saw no fear in her.

Something about Gene reminded him of the woman he'd loved on Gallifrey…a woman who had been there for him in hard times…a woman who was dead. He couldn't look at Gene, knowing that she didn't fear him, because that's how _she _had been. Unafraid and just about as crazy as he was.

The Doctor had been right… Even though the guards had been ordered to treat her right, at least well enough for her to survive, she was very sick…dying. Part of it was the cold air and the poor food, part of it was because he had cut her off completely from her Mate at a very early point in their Mating, she was going insane…the emptiness was killing her.

The Master backed out of the room and wheeled in the Doctor, hearing Gene coughing up her lungs. Yet, through all of the sickness, her eyes twinkled when she saw the Doctor. "Please…" The Doctor requested. "Please…she needs me."

Even the Master couldn't watch Gene suffer any longer. He wheeled the Doctor closer. Gene barely made it to her knees, shaking, goosebumps all over her body…but she made it. She grabbed the Doctor's hands and rested her head on top of his legs, still coughing. The Master sent a guard away who came back a moment later with a stethoscope. The Master moved forward.

"Don't touch her!"

"Do you want her to stay sick?" The Master asked harshly. The Doctor shook his head. The Master pressed the end of the stethoscope against her lungs and listened. "Double Pneumonia…it's very bad… She's got less than a week."

"Save her please. Just spare her life… I'll give you anything you want…anything." The Doctor said, tears running down his cheeks as he stroked the top of Gene's head. She hardly knew what was going on outside of the fact that her Doctor was holding her…and he made her feel safe…loved.

"How?"

"Time Lords are immune to pneumonia… Give her my blood…it would work as an antidote would to a poison… Please… Do what you will with me, let her live… I beg you."

"If I come back and you've touched that bracelet I swear to God that I will make you watch me kill her. And it will be nice and slow."

"I won't touch it…" Gene's eyes flickered open as she began to cough again, nearly unable to breathe.

The Master always fell for those eyes. There was something about Gene.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

The Doctor watched as his own blood was taken from his body. He stroked the top of Gene's head gently. "You'll be alright… I've got you… I'm going to help you get better…" The Doctor promised, gently running his hand up and down her back. The Master pulled the needle out of the Doctor's arm and grabbed Gene's. Instantly the Doctor glared at the Master.

"If you want her to get better, you need to stop glaring." The Master insisted.

"Be gentle." The Doctor warned. The Master found a good vein in Gene's arm and slipped the needle into her arm, pushing the plunger down. The instant the blood hit Gene's veins she took a deep breath and her eyes opened wide, her pupils dilated. "It's okay, it's okay… Relax, sweetheart… It's okay."

"You can't…"

"Yes I can and I will, relax honey…" The Doctor cooed gently, rubbing her back. Gene breathed heavily and slowly relaxed again, resting her head on his knee.

"I love you…"

"I love you too…" The Doctor smiled down at her gently. With that Gene's eyes flickered closed and she fell asleep.

"She's human. Why would you pick a human?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you even consider the mortality rate of a human?" The Master asked sarcastically.

"Any time with her is better than no time at all… If you knew anything of love, you'd know what that felt like." The Master slapped the Doctor, hard.

"Don't think that I don't know love…just because mine was taken from me." The Master glared at him before Gene caught his eye again. "When should she be better?"

"A few hours."

"You can stay until then, but I'll be watching. If that bracelet comes off, I won't hesitate… She'll be dead."

8DWDWDWDWDWDW8

The Master stepped into Gene's cell with a small portion of food and water. "Hello, Master." Gene said quietly, sitting in the corner of the cell, her hands and feet still bound.

"Gene." The Master nodded simply, placing the food in front of her.

"How goes world domination? Any problems?" Gene wondered.

"How do you do it?"

"How do I do what?" Gene asked.

"You're not afraid of me."

"What is there to be afraid of?"

"I could kill you. I almost did."

"But you didn't." Gene stated. "In fact, judging by the change in footfalls of the guards outside my cell, you took it upon yourself to kill the men who allowed me to get so ill in the first place. Why should I be afraid of someone who doesn't want me dead?"

"You're really not afraid?"

"No… I'm not afraid of you."

"Why not?"

"Because…you remind me of me."

"How so?"

"You were the freak growing up, weren't you?"

"How did you—?"

"Easy to spot when you were that kid too. You just couldn't handle it…that's the only way we differ. You went down your road, and the Doctor saved me before I could do the same… Though I rather hope that I'm not the type of person who'd want to destroy a world…no offense." Gene commented.

"You…are different."

"Most people think that." Gene said simply. "You can't hurt me can you?" Gene asked. "You don't like seeing me hurt. Why? What is it about me?"

"You remind me of someone…someone I loved." The Master said, unable to stop it from spilling out.

"Who?"

"She was the Sage… Brilliant and mad like you. She wasn't afraid of me either." The Master said, sitting across from Gene.

"Mad?"

"Duh, you're not afraid of me." Gene chuckled weakly.

"You think that's mad, you should hear about my life. I'm always backwards." Gene sighed. "Were you Mates?"

"No... I never told her I loved her…and she…she died before I could."

"I'm sorry… It's insane to be without the one you love." Gene said rubbing her head. She ached…she wanted the Doctor to be by her side, but she couldn't have him…she wasn't allowed to be near him.

"How can you be like this? You're the enemy."

"Depends on how you look at things. I once befriended a Dalek…not easy to do, that." Gene shrugged.

"Are you sure you don't need to have your mind checked out? I think you might be missing a few things." The Master teased and then froze, standing up. "Why in the hell am I down here joking with you, I have a world to run!"

"Master?" Gene called out as the Master opened the door.

"Yes?"

"What's so important about dominating the world? What's the point of being the winner if there's no one left to compete with?"

"Are you trying to get me to stop?"

"Is it working?" Gene wondered with a smile on her face.

"Enjoy the darkness, Gene." He said, closing the door and shutting the lights off, leaving her alone. But something about her stuck with him… It was her eyes… He really shouldn't go down to see her, every time he did she made him doubt himself, feel guilty. But he couldn't trust anyone else to keep her alive and healthy…

He hated her.

He despised her.

He couldn't stay away from her.

She made him angry and upset, but he couldn't raise his hand against her… So he did the second best thing.

He immediately went to the Doctor…and took out his frustration on him.

8DWDWDWDWDW8

"Citizens of Earth, rejoice and observe." The Master stated with a wide smile. The Jones' were dragged into the room along with Jack and Gene.

"Doctor!" Gene screamed toward the cage where the Doctor was kept.

"Ah, ah, ah…" The guards protested, pulling her back by her hair. The Doctor looked away, ashamed, embarrassed that she saw him when he looked so fragile…

"Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten." The Master stated. Martha took it off and threw it at him. "And now, kneel. Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?"

"The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!"

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down. I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?"

"We will fly and blaze and slice. We will fly and blaze and slice."

"At zero, to mark this day, the child Martha Jones, will die. My first blood. Any last words? No? Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless. Bow your head. And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords. From this day forward—" Martha laughed. "What. What's so funny?"

"A gun."

"What about it?"

"A gun in four parts?"

"Yes, and I destroyed it."

"A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on, did you really believe that?" Martha asked. Gene smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"The Doctor would never ask anyone to kill… Beside he doesn't like guns." Gene said, winking at the Doctor.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her.

"But I knew what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here at the right time."

"Oh, but you're still going to die."

"Don't you want to know what I was doing, travelling the world?"

"Tell me." He could never resist questions like that. He wanted to know everything.

"I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

"Faith and hope? Is that all?" The Master scoffed.

"Never… Faith and hope can move mountains and build empires…" Gene stated. "But faith, hope, and direction…that's some powerful stuff."

"I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time—"

"Nothing will happen. Is that your weapon? Prayer?"

"Right across the world, in word, just one thought at one moment but with fifteen satellites." That made the Master pause.

"What?"

"The Archangel Network."

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word is Doctor." Gene explained. The Doctor and his cage began to burn brightly, a golden color.

"Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't. Stop this right now. Stop it!"

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices." The Doctor said, tall and proud again, himself.

"I order you to stop!"

"I've said it time and time again…of all the things you can do to the human race, the one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking." Gene said simply, looking up at her glowing Mate with a proud smile.

"Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this."

"No!" He fired his screwdriver at the Doctor, but it couldn't touch him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Then I'll kill her." The Master hissed, grabbing Gene and holding her in a headlock, his laser screwdriver pointed at her head. The Doctor's eyes grew angry and dark. He flicked his wrist and the laser screwdriver was yanked out of the Master's grasp. He then looked at Gene and made a small tugging motion with his hand. The bracelet fell off.

Gene gasped and her pupils dilated as she felt the Doctor's mind flood hers. She was home again… She was alive, not just being…she was living again.

"You can't do this. You can't do it. It's not fair!" the Master protested, pushing Gene away.

"And you know what happens now."

"No! No! No! No!"

"You wouldn't listen."

"No!"

"Because you know what I'm going to say."

"No."

"I forgive you."

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

_Bang!_

For one terrifying second, the Doctor thought that the shot, the bullet had pierced, Gene, but then he watched the Master start to fall backwards. He was relieved and upset. Gene hadn't been hit even though she'd been mere inches from the bullet's path, but the Master had been hit.

"There you go. I've got you. I've got you." The Doctor said, catching the Master as he fell.

"Always the women, trying to rip your hearts out."

"I didn't see her."

"Dying in your arms. Happy now?" The Master asked as Gene knelt next to them.

"You're not dying. Don't be stupid. It's only a bullet. Just regenerate." Gene stated, rolling her eyes.

"No."

"One little bullet. Come on."

"I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse."

"Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please. Please! Just regenerate. Come on."

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with _you_? Gene I could handle…but _you_?"

"You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done. Axons. Remember the Axons? And the Daleks. We're the only two left. There's no one else. Regenerate!"

"How about that. I win. Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?" Gene gently reached out and grabbed his hand. He looked up at her and saw her smile.

"It'll stop…and you can be happy again." Gene promised in a gentle whisper. The Master reached up and gently touched her cheek. The Doctor couldn't help but be furious with the dying man. No one could touch her…least of all him.

"You…there's something about you…" He whispered before his eyes closed and he died.

"No!" The Doctor shouted.

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Time was, every single one of these people knew your name. Now they've all forgotten you." Martha commented.

"Good."

"Back to work." Jack said.

"I really don't mind, though. Come with me."

"I had plenty of time to think that past year, the year that never was, and I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said, Doctor, responsibility."

"Defending the Earth. Can't argue with that." The Doctor shrugged, grabbing Jack's hand, exposing the Vortex Manipulator.

"Hey, I need that!"

"I can't have you walking around with a time travelling teleport. You could go anywhere, twice. The second time to apologize."

"I won't be apologizing when I use this…" Jack defended. "By the way… I lied to you… It didn't burn out back then… It couldn't do time jumps…but teleportation, that was never a problem. Think on that." He said, winking at Gene and the Doctor.

"What?" Gene wondered.

"You'll know someday, backwards girl." Jack looked at the Doctor carefully before he leaned in and kissed Gene on the cheek. The Doctor barely kept from punching him. Gene did punch him.

"Sheesh! It was just a friend thing… Lighten up…" Jack rubbed his face. He handed Gene the watch and she snuck it into her pocket. "By the way… I did my research on you…those documents… Your birth certificate…everything. It was faked."

"I know…I just don't know how." Gene sighed.

"Had to be someone who knew you had a…well, you know." He said, nodding towards the place where the watch was. "Someone trying to protect you."

"But only the three of us knew." Gene said. "I haven't fixed it."

"Time travel…that's all I'm saying." Jack said. "Lovely right hook, by the way… I hope next time you're nicer…well, next time you will be nicer…God…that hurt. I'm going to bruise."

"Get over it."

"Sorry, vanity. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid living on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me. Hmm. I'll see you." He smiled and winked before he took off.

"No." The Doctor said with wide eyes.

"It can't be."

"No. Definitely not. No. No."

"Think about it… The Face of Boe knew about Yana…and warned us… Didn't work…well, sort of did." Gene sighed. "On we go?"

8DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW8

"Keep that, because I'm not having you disappear. If that rings, when that rings, you'd better come running. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Gene…make sure he shows up." Martha requested.

"Always." Gene promised, hugging Martha.

"Be good you two…and please wait until I escape before the clothes end up missing, because I can tell just by looking at you two that…well… I'll just go." Martha shivered at the thought. "I'll see you two again, and don't you forget it." Martha smiled before she ran out of the door. The Doctor set the TARDIS into the vortex before he turned to grab Gene.

Before he could reach her, she'd already grabbed him by his lapels and pulled him into a crushing kiss, undoing the buttons on his shirt.

A whole year apart…wasn't good for them.

They had a lot to make up for.

The bracelet had stunted the progression of their Mating…made it harder for Gene to distinguish whos mind was whos… They had a lot to work on…but what they needed most was each other.

The Doctor lifted her off of the ground and pressed her into a y-beam.

_You told me to make a mental note._

_That you did. _Gene smiled into the kiss.

"I love you…"

"I love you too…"

* * *

**Much love to all of you.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Sequel is up! Lost and Found is the name of it! :)**

**Best thing ever! I checked where all of my views for this story were coming from and one of the places was 'Undefined'... I think the Doctor's reading this.**

**To the Reviewers:**

**Skidney: Thank you, you amazing, great, awesome person!**

**Arinlianette: I hope I answered most of your questions :) I do love Nine as well...especially in this context.**

**ShadowTeir: There will be Donna.**

**The Yoshinator: I had a lot written, I had to make sure I got it out while I had the chance.**

**Gogo2625: New story in a little bit, I promise.**

**I'msorrymylove: Yes, dear. :)**

**Yugioh13: Thank you!**

**Sherlockian082994: I loved the language use there! Awesome!**

**Supernatural Believer: Yes...I can and will leave it like that. I'm taking a leaf from Moffat's book.**

**Kiyoko Hikari: The sequel is up. :)**

**The Inquirer: Well, I decided that I would have to end it like this or else it would be ridiculously long and drawn out. I wanted things to be a bit easier.**

**1. Jack's always a mystery. Gene still has yet to really change Jack's life. I can tell you she does a lot in the way of 456, just saying.**

**2. Do I look like people?**

**3. This song is ending, but the story never ends.**

**4. I do love Gene's punch...very nice. He did deserve it.**

**5. The Master and Gene...very important... The Doctor and Gene...also important... There is going to be a huge explosion when that one hits. I can't wait! I'm going to have to dig a hole and hide.**

**6. River, River, River...that's going to be a fun day...**

**7. That poor watch... I made it so everyone thought they knew... That's going to be fun when that happens to. Someone, not saying who, is going to go very, _very _insane. How's that for a spoiler?**

**8. I love Donna! Of course we'll be seeing her! The most important girl in the universe coming right up!**

**9. Would you be angry if I said I haven't thought Jenny through yet?**

**10. The Eleven Ganger... That's a long ways away, who says Gene will make it that far? I didn't. Just kidding...or am I. I don't know just yet, I'll get back to you.**

**Thank you everyone for your awesome support, I hope to see you all in the next installment: Lost and Found. **

**(Gonna put the spoiler that i can on this page...just for you guys.)**

**Much love!**

* * *

**Spoiler from Lost and Found!**

Silence in the Library

"Can I steal a kiss?" the Doctor asked Gene with a small smile.

"Now?" Gene wondered.

"You've been biting your lip and it's been driving me crazy." He teased before he stole a kiss from her, knowing she'd approve. She wrapped her arms around him and smiled into the kiss. Surrounded by killer shadows and he wants a kiss...God she loved him.

"That's enough, both of you!" River snapped, turning to glare at Gene as the two of them pulled apart. "Doctor, I don't know what you've got going on with this girl, but it has to stop. Stop this before it gets out of hand."

"Stop what?" Gene asked.

"The kissing and the hand-holding and the gooey eyes!"

"But I love him..."

"You may very well love him, but he has a better love in the future. He has a True Mate in the future and the last thing I want is for him to feel guilty leaving the trash behind him. He's just to nice for that. I don't know who you are or where you came from, but when this is over you better slip on back home before you do anymore damage."

"Time Lords only have one Mate." The Doctor stated.

"Yeah, and she isn't it. I can't believe you're even kissing another woman!" River shouted.

"But I-" Gene started.

"No, don't you even touch him. He's not yours and he'll never be yours...ever."


End file.
